Semi driver who caused deadly Highway 2 pileup to spend 60 days in jail

GRAND FORKS – The semi driver who precipitated a lethal pileup on Freeway 2 in Grand Forks final 12 months plead responsible to seven expenses Monday morning.

Essentially the most severe cost of manslaughter was lowered to negligent murder. 55-year-old Steven Piechowski, of Felton, Minnesota, additionally plead responsible to reckless endangerment, 3 counts of aggravated assault, assault and easy assault.

These expenses carry a most of 15 years in jail.

Nonetheless, prosecutors have agreed to a sentence of 60 days in jail and 60 days of digital house monitoring.

Piechowski also can argue for much less time when he’s sentenced in February.

He was hauling asphalt on July 2, 2021 for the Freeway 2 street mission when he slammed right into a line of vehicles that had stopped for a crimson gentle outdoors the doorway to the Grand Forks airport.

The motive force of the automobile he read-ended, 61-year-old Eric Jayne of Des Moines, Iowa, was killed.

Jayne was a nationally acknowledged veterinarian who was on the town visiting buddies.

Six different vehicles have been a part of the pileup.

5 folks have been harm.

Ten minutes previous to the crash that occurred at 7:30 within the morning, 911 had obtained a name that Piechowski’s semi was swerving everywhere in the street and onto the shoulder.

Freeway 2 is generally two lanes in every course in that space, however was lowered to head-to-head because of the building.

Troopers say Piechowski by no means hits the brakes earlier than slamming into the primary automobile.

Court docket papers say Piechowski instructed investigators he was trying down on the time of the crash.