In a horrifying chain of events one night last October, an 18 wheeler slammed into a line of stopped vehicles on a busy interstate, killing 5 people and injuring others.
The driver of the semi is charged with multiple counts of involuntary manslaughter.
That accident happened October 24, 2010 on I-26 in Henderson County, North Carolina.
In the wake of the tragedy, one of the victims mother is joining a group headed to capitol hill to urge lawmakers to force better regulation of the trucking industry.
Jackie Novak lost her son Charles at the age of 22. She will head to Washington Saturday, and meet with representatives early in the week.
"They estimate it was 60 thousand pounds that ran over my child," she says.
"I just miss him," she continued in an interview.
"It hurts..there is just a big hole there..and I don't want anyone else to have to go through that."
The driver of that 18 wheeler was identified as Roumen Velkov.
He was charged with 5 counts of involuntary manslaughter among other charges.
He is set to go on trial in June.
Original reports from the scene, October 2010:
The North Carolina State Patrol tells News Channel 7 that police have charged Roumen Todorov Velkov, 48, of Beloit, WI with 4 counts of involuntary manslaughter and one count of assault.
Troopers say that Velkov was driving a tractor-trailer that started a chain collision of seven passenger vehicles and another tractor-trailer that were stopped in the eastbound lanes of I-26 due to another accident.
Those killed were:
Charles Novac, 22, of Hendersonville
Thersa Saver, 23, of Asheville
Alvin Kimbell, 60, of Lexington, S.C.
Gail Kimbell, 55, of Lexington, S.C.
Amber Reid
Laci Fredricks was injured
NCHP Trooper Gene Williamson with the North Carolina says there were additional injuries from a crash that closed I-26 near the Fletcher exit – Butler Bridge Road - in Henderson County.
The interstate was closed in the eastbound lanes after two accidents that involved nine vehicles. Troopers say six cars and two tractor-trailers were stopped because of an accident when a car ran into the back of the stopped vehicles around 11:00 p.m. Sunday.
The westbound lanes were closed until early Monday morning, but the accident scene wasn’t cleared until 6:15 a.m. to reopen traffic in the eastbound lanes.
The North Carolina Highway Patrol says they are still investigating and trying to determine the cause of the accident.
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