In The News

Trucker who hit police car loses license 1 year

FRANKFORT, Ind. — A truck driver whose rig crushed a state police cruiser while a trooper sat inside lost his license to drive in Indiana for one year.

Francisco Gallegos Jr., 26, Milwaukee, Wis., also was fined a total of $1,400 on four traffic violations Tuesday. Clinton Superior Court jurors this month convicted Gallegos of the traffic violations but acquitted him of felony criminal reckless and misdemeanor reckless driving in the Sept. 5, 2006, crash that seriously injured Sgt. Rich Kelly.

“I understand that driving is your livelihood. ... You’re lucky to that you have your freedom and you have your health,” Judge Kathy Smith said. “You should be thankful that no one died that day.”

Kelly had pulled over a semitrailer on the shoulder of northbound Interstate 65 about a mile north of Indiana 28 and was inspecting it from his patrol car when Gallegos’ truck slammed into the car, crunching it against the other rig, police said. The crash left the cruiser partially wedged under one of the trucks and both its front and rear ends nearly disintegrated.

Kelly suffered a fractured vertebrae and required surgery to fuse his fifth and sixth vertebrae. He returned to duty in January following four months of rehabilitation.

Smith suspended Gallegos’ license for violating an Indiana law that requires vehicles to slow down or move to the left lane to give police officers room to work. She also ordered 30-day suspensions for following too closely, unsafe lane movement and speeding, though all four suspensions will be served concurrently.

Smith said the suspensions will be sent to Wisconsin’s Division of Motor Vehicles, and Gallegos could lose driving privileges there and possibly Illinois as well as Indiana.

Gallegos, who did not testify during his trial, did not comment Tuesday.

Jerry Breeden of The Trucker staff can be reached for comment at [email protected].