FULL STORY: Truck Driver Admits Guilt in Fatal Grand Forks Accident with Multiple Injuries

GRAND FORKS, ND (trfnews.i234.me) A trucker has plead guilty to causing a July 2021 crash by the Grand Forks Airport that killed 1 person and serious injured 3 others. The plea deal calls for 60 days in jail. Steven Piechowski is scheduled to be sentenced on February 17, 2023.
semi driver 55 year old Stephen pichowski under a plea agreement has pled guilty to a long string of charges following a crash by the Grand Forks Airport on July 2nd of 2021 that killed one person and seriously injured three others the plea agreement calls for 60 days in jail and 60 days of home monitoring the plea deal which reduced the severity of charges still has to be okayed by a judge formal sentencing scheduled for February 17th for background here’s our story from July of 2021. criminal charges have now been filed against a Felton Minnesota man in connection with this fatal multi-injury crash on Highway 2 by the Grand Forks Airport on July 2nd of 2021 the semi that Stephen pachowski was driving crashed into a string of vehicles at a stoplight 50 25 year old Stephen pichowski is facing five felony charges manslaughter for the death of Eric Jane three counts of aggravated assault for the serious injury of three other people along with reckless endangerment plus misdemeanor charges for the Lesser injuries of others according to the criminal complaint this is what allegedly happened in part quote uh Stephen pichowski was driving a Blue Cab Volvo truck tractor pulling a trailer loaded with hot asphalt pechowski was eastbound on Highway 2 in a construction zone and was called in as driving recklessly it was reported pychowski was swerving all over the roadway the traffic in the area was Head to Head due to westbound Lanes being closed a picture was taken of pichowski driving on the shoulder of the roadways as prior to the crash piechowski was approaching the intersection of Highway 2 and Airport Road which was governed by a stoplight there were several vehicles that were stopped at a red light at the intersection victims involved in the crash confirmed that the light was red at the time of the crash at the intersection of Highway 2 and Airport Road pichowski struck the rear of a Chevrolet Malibu starting a chain reaction crash with six other vehicles the crash created a very a chaotic scene and resulted in several injuries to those involved the driver of the Malibu died as a result of injury sustained in the crash and several others were injured now this past week authorities got search warrants for evidence already in custody from pachowski’s truck including an electronic device that may have video evidence of the crash and a cell phone that could contain possible data of distracted driving as of this Thursday morning May 19th his first court appearance has not been scheduled yet for a complete list of everyone in the crash here’s our report from July 4th of 2021. uh the driver of a 2006 Chevy Malibu Eric Jane 61 of Des Moines Iowa was killed seat belts in use airbag deployed uh the uh Dr and his passenger was uh Sally Cooper Smith age 61 of Des Moines Iowa non-life-threatening injuries vehicle number three a Ford F-150 pickup pulling a boat the driver was a Todd Petry age 57 of Waterville Minnesota non-life-threatening injuries seat belt and use airbags deployed uh passenger Jeffrey Graham’s age 56 of Hudson Iowa uninjured seat belts in use uh passenger number two juvenile male non-life-threatening injuries passenger number three Skyler Petri age 25 of Waterville Minnesota uninjured seat belt worn a vehicle number four a 2018 Dodge Caravan uh driver Gene Waters uh female age 51 of Larimore non-life-threatening injuries a seat belt in use vehicle number five a 2018 Toyota Tundra pulling a boat uh driver Jeffrey Dunbar age 51 of uh Arkansas Wisconsin non-life-threatening injuries his passenger Melissa Dunbar female 52 of uh Arkansas Wisconsin non-life-threatening injuries uh Jake Dunbar age 24 of Arkansas Wisconsin non-life-threatening injuries third passenger Sarah Dunbar age 13 of Arkansas was 19 of Arkansas Wisconsin non-life-threatening injuries driver vehicle number six driver number six of a Toyota RAV uh healing contos a female 39 of Devil’s Lake non-life-threatening injury seat belts in use passenger uh Jenny V areola female 37 of Devils Lake non-life-threatening injuries vehicle number seven a 2014 Chevy Silverado pulling in a closed utility trailer 57 year old Carl Homestead of Rugby North Dakota uninjured seat belt in use and finally driver number eight of a 2011 Honda Pilot uh 49 year old Brenda Coble of Grand Forks uninjured her passenger was a juvenile male uninjured again pachowski pleads guilty under a plea agreement that calls for 60 days in jail and 60 days of home monitoring I’m Neil Berg reporting for itrfnews.i234.me