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THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU BREAK THE RULES AND YOU PUSH THE ENVELOPE - IT CAN KILL OTHERS! PLAY BY THE RULES!
(Fort Wayne, IN)- Criminal charges have been filed against the Michigan truck driver who struck and killed five people in a Taylor University van back in April.
Prosecutors relied on evidence from a lengthy investigation to support nine felony counts.
37-year old Robert Spencer mid day was arrested in the Detroit area on warrants charging him with five counts of reckless homicide and four counts of criminal recklessness.
"We have to make a legal determination and we've made one. It's not something we feel good about, we do feel like we're doing our job," said Grant County Prosecutor James Luttrell Jr.
Grant County's prosecutor said complex legal questions surrounding the fatal crash are why it took four months to file the case.
Spencer's northbound semi on I-69 veered through the median and struck a southbound van carrying nine Taylor students and employees.
The investigation that followed revealed Spencer had falsified log books regarding his time on duty in the days preceding the crash, and that, according to federal guidelines, he'd been behind the wheel nine hours too long the day of the accident.
"A disregard of harm is really the key phrase, in the recklessness charge. A disregard of harm that was consciously and unjustifiably done and a substantial deviation from acceptable standards of conduct," said Luttrell.
It's not clear if Spencer fell asleep, but prosecutors say he told medics at the scene, "Did I hit something? What happened? Who did this?"
"As the families of the victims have come out strongest in saying, is that they have forgiven the truck driver," said Taylor student Katie Lehman.
"He's arguably, arguably having the worst day today, so we've prayed for him the past four months and we'll continue to do so,†said Student Body President Brent Maher.
"The tragic aspect is always going to be present, and yet we have to disassociate ourselves from that emotional aspect and focus strictly on the facts," said Grant County’s Chief Deputy Prosecutor Bill Heck.
A process is underway to have Spencer extradited to face charges in Indiana.
(Fort Wayne, IN)- Criminal charges have been filed against the Michigan truck driver who struck and killed five people in a Taylor University van back in April.
Prosecutors relied on evidence from a lengthy investigation to support nine felony counts.
37-year old Robert Spencer mid day was arrested in the Detroit area on warrants charging him with five counts of reckless homicide and four counts of criminal recklessness.
"We have to make a legal determination and we've made one. It's not something we feel good about, we do feel like we're doing our job," said Grant County Prosecutor James Luttrell Jr.
Grant County's prosecutor said complex legal questions surrounding the fatal crash are why it took four months to file the case.
Spencer's northbound semi on I-69 veered through the median and struck a southbound van carrying nine Taylor students and employees.
The investigation that followed revealed Spencer had falsified log books regarding his time on duty in the days preceding the crash, and that, according to federal guidelines, he'd been behind the wheel nine hours too long the day of the accident.
"A disregard of harm is really the key phrase, in the recklessness charge. A disregard of harm that was consciously and unjustifiably done and a substantial deviation from acceptable standards of conduct," said Luttrell.
It's not clear if Spencer fell asleep, but prosecutors say he told medics at the scene, "Did I hit something? What happened? Who did this?"
"As the families of the victims have come out strongest in saying, is that they have forgiven the truck driver," said Taylor student Katie Lehman.
"He's arguably, arguably having the worst day today, so we've prayed for him the past four months and we'll continue to do so,†said Student Body President Brent Maher.
"The tragic aspect is always going to be present, and yet we have to disassociate ourselves from that emotional aspect and focus strictly on the facts," said Grant County’s Chief Deputy Prosecutor Bill Heck.
A process is underway to have Spencer extradited to face charges in Indiana.
