Truck Driver Jailed to Death of Fargo Man

As some North Dakota families can attest, the sentencing of a person found guilty of causing a serious motor vehicle accident can sometimes be a double edged sword. While the family is likely relieved to have the truck driver held responsible for causing injury of death in the accident, hearing that the guilty truck driver jailed may only serve a matter of months in jail can sometimes leave people with a sense of injustice in the end.

It’s hard to tell if this is the case for one North Dakota family who has been waiting since last June to to hear the sentencing of the 46 year old truck driver responsible for the death of a 29 year old Fargo man and the injury of his 10 year old son. After nearly a year of waiting, a deal was reached with prosecutors and the man was sentenced to only two and a half months in jail after pleading guilty to misdemeanor aggravated reckless driving charges.

According to the truck accident report, the 46 year old Minnesota truck driver drifted wide to make a turn when he collided with the 29 year old motorcyclist who was following the semi trailer at the time of the accident. Originally, the man was charged with felony manslaughter but the charge was reduced during the plea agreement.

While the accident may not have been intentional, the sentencing may have left the family feeling a sense of injustice in the end–especially because a loved one of theirs had been killed as a result of this truck driver’s reckless driving. Although this may not be the case in this circumstance, similar cases in the past have certainly echoed this sentiment, leaving some families to seek the help of an attorney in order to take legal action.

Source: The Twin Cities Pioneer Press, “Minnesota truck driver sentenced for fatal North Dakota crash,” The Associated Press, May 14, 2013.