Chicago Truck Driver Gets Jail Time for Causing Pileup

 Posted on June 16, 2012 in Truck Accidents

A Chicago truck driver pleaded guilty this week to causing a 100-car pileup on I-94 in Minnesota on December 30, 2010.  The semi driver, Nenad Sibinovic, said that he could have done more to prevent the accident from happening.

Sibinovic was the only driver charged as a result of the 100-car pileup, which claimed the life of fellow truck driver Lowell Balk.  Interestingly, Sibinovic was charged in this case even though it was never shown that his truck actually made contact with Balk.  Instead, Balk exited his truck after it came to a stop in an attempt to aid other motorists and was then struck by other vehicles which became involved in the pileup.  Sibinovic was charged because, according to prosecutors, he caused the events which led to Balk’s death.  It was alleged that Sibinovic, who was clocked going 50-55mph just before the collision, was driving too fast for the blizzard conditions at the time of the accident.

After pleading guilty to reckless endangerment, the judge accepted prosecutors’ recommendations and sentenced Sibinovic to 10 days in jail, one year of unsupervised supervision and a $500 fine.  While prosecutors did not believe Sibinovic acted maliciously, they alleged that he acted recklessly by not reducing his speed in the blizzard conditions.

Khaled Issa is an experienced Illinois personal injury attorney that has represented numerous clients who were injured as a result of trucking accidents.  If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck collision, call Khaled Issa today to protect your rights and get the compensation you deserve.