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Dump Truck Driver in Fatal Highway 370 Accident Charged

By Jason Bottlinger on October 3, 2019

The dump truck driver who caused a deadly crash on Highway 370 has been criminally charged. Two children were killed in the crash.

Jesse O. Knight, 37, was arrested and charged with two counts of motor vehicle homicide and reckless driving. According to the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Department, Knight was operating his dump truck in a careless manner, and that is what allegedly caused the deadly incident.

Knight’s eastbound dump truck, owned by The Rock Place II, hit the rear of a minivan as it was stopped at a red light on Nebraska Highway 370 at 192nd Street. The minivan was being driven by the children’s mother. Two of the victims’ siblings were also inside the minivan at the time of the impact.

According to law enforcement, the force of the collision propelled the minivan into the vehicle stopped in front of it, and Knight’s dump truck crossed into the westbound lanes and struck a vehicle that was stopped at the intersection waiting to go west.

Law enforcement reported a total of eight people injured as a result of the crash. Knight himself was not injured.

Knight is no stranger to driving infractions and has accrued several blemishes on his driving record in the years leading up to this tragedy. In 2018, he pleaded guilty to failing to stay in his lane while driving in Washington County and was ordered to pay a fine of $25.

In May 2016, Knight was ticketed for failing to yield the right-of-way and driving with a suspended license. Though he pled guilty to the suspension charge, the failure-to-yield charge was dropped, and he ended up paying a $75 fine. Over a decade ago, Knight was ticketed for failing to use a turn signal, and three times for speeding as well.

This wreck is a stark reminder of how dangerous it can be when a negligent individual is behind the wheel of a truck. Clearly, there are going to be questions of civil liability facing not only Knight, but his employer, The Rock Place II, due to the questionable driving record of their employee.

The crash is still under investigation by the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office, the Nebraska State Patrol, and the South Metro Crash Response Team. More details will come as the criminal case gets underway.

The team at Bottlinger Law L.L.C. extends our sincerest condolences to the victims of this horrific event, especially to the family of the deceased.

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