Semi driver charged in deadly 6-car pile-up on I-69

ALLEN COUNTY, Ind. (WANE) - The man allegedly responsible for causing a 6-car pile-up crash last month that killed two people was charged on Monday. According to court documents obtained from the Allen County Prosecutor's Office, Gjergj Degaj, 70, was initially charged with two counts of Reckless Homicide and one count of Criminal Recklessness. The crash involving six vehicles took place shortly before 2 p.m. on June 3 and forced the closure of the southbound lanes of I-69 south of the General Motors plant. Multiple 911 calls stated that three semi-trucks and 3 cars were involved. Two people were pronounced dead on the scene, and multiple individuals were trapped in their vehicles. The crash occurred when a semi-truck approached two stopped vehicles from behind in a construction zone and struck both of them. One crashed into a nearby ditch, and the other crashed into another semi-truck. The first semi-truck’s momentum caused the second semi to strike a third vehicle from behind. This caused the third vehicle to strike another semi in front of it. The driver and passenger of that car were treated at the scene and released. The Allen County Coroner’s Office identified the crash victims as Bradley Maller, 70, of Kokomo, and driver’s ed student and Homestead High School student, Drew Saddington, 15, of Fort Wayne. Both died from blunt impact injuries, and their deaths have been ruled an accident. Court documents state that there was no evidence on the roadway showing that Degaj used his brakes ahead of the crash. The weather and visibility at the time and date of the crash were clear, and the section of the roadway where the crash occurred was flat and straight. The construction zone in the area was clearly marked with signage and an indication of a lane closure ahead, with a posted speed limit of 55 miles per hour in the work zone. Representatives of the Indiana State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division, on scene, reported that Degaj's Commercial Vehicle Driver's License was not valid at the time of the crash. During an interrogation at the hospital, the division asked Degaj a series of questions to assess his English proficiency, and law enforcement was told that he failed to understand the questions and that his English communication was insufficient. A tablet confiscated from Degaj's semi was searched by the Allen County High Tech Crime Unit, which showed that YouTube was "in focus" before the crash occurred. A Certified Crash Reconstructionist used photos, 3D scans, and vehicle weights to create a formula that determined Degaj's semi was traveling at 73 miles per hour through the 55 miles per hour work zone, and without braking, slammed into five stopped vehicles. A warrant has been issued for Gjergj Degaj's arrest, and he has not yet been booked into the Allen County Jail.