Months after a tragic crash on an Alberta highway claimed the life of a young boy and injured four others, RCMP have charged a semi-truck driver involved in the collision.
First responders rushed to the scene of a crash on Wednesday, Aug. 7 at 4:30 p.m. to find wreckage involving two semi-trucks and another vehicle.
Ten-year-old Zachary Jeffrey was killed when one of the semis crashed into the back of the family’s minivan while stopped in a construction zone, forcing it ahead to slam into the second semi in front of them, according to RCMP.
The rest of the family — Zachary’s parents Bob and Carla, along with their other two children, Lillian and Gabriel — was injured in the crash.
RCMP said Wednesday the semi-truck driver, 37-year-old Lowell Nathan Dyck, has been charged with several offences in relation to the crash, including:
- dangerous driving causing death
- four counts of dangerous driving causing bodily harm
- criminal negligence causing death
- four counts of criminal negligence causing bodily harm
Dyck is scheduled to appear in Hanna court on April 22.
RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Laurel Scott said there is a fairly high threshold to lay the charges.
“These are very serious charges,” she said.
“The whole scenario, of course, is a very tragic, fatal scenario and so the investigation, from the outset, has been a very serious and in-depth investigation.
“It’s not been easy for anybody. It’s not easy for the family and I have no doubt it’s not easy for the truck driver.”