A 46-year-old Great Bend, Kan., man is being charged with manslaughter for his part in an April crash east of Hastings that killed a Prosser man.
Victor M. Allende was arrested Sunday.
The Nebraska State Patrol said in an affidavit that Allende was following too closely in the crash that killed Neal Sahling, 52.
The crash on April 24 occurred on U.S. Highway 6 near the railroad crossing between Marian Road and Baltimore Avenue. The state patrol said Allende was traveling eastbound on Highway 6 in a 2005 Kenworth semitrailer truck, following a 2007 International Harvester straight truck driven by Douglas F. Mattes, 64, of Omaha. Mattes, who was carrying a load of vehicle batteries, stopped at the railroad crossing and was struck from behind by Allende.
An accident reconstruction determined that based on the length of Allende’s semi truck, as well as his traveling speed of 47.65 mph at the time of the crash, he should have allowed a following distance of 7 seconds. The affidavit states Allende allowed a following distance of .89 seconds.
To read more, see Wednesday's Hastings Tribune or the Tribune e-edition.>>>
