Crash alert: Truck driver sentenced for fatal Grand Island accident

GRAND ISLAND, NE – A truck driver has been sentenced to prison in connection with a fatal accident in Hall County in January, according to KSNB.

37-year-old Peterson Black of Utah will serve four to eight years behind bars for causing the crash January 5 on Interstate 80, about four miles west of the exit for Grand Island. Authorities said Black was driving a semi westbound and went out of control, crossing the median and going into the eastbound lanes.

A Subaru Forester that was driving east ended up going under the truck’s trailer, and a passenger in the car, 72-year-old Mary Niedermeier of Wisconsin, was killed in the crash. Her husband, 72-year-old William Niedermeier, was hospitalized and released. Black was convicted of felony Motor Vehicle Homicide while under the influence of alcohol.

When semi trucks are involved in accidents with much smaller conventional vehicles, the size and weight of the trucks make for a collision that causes catastrophic injury, resulting in a lifetime of expensive therapy, as well as fatal injury and wrongful death. At Rensch & Rensch Law, our experienced Nebraska truck accident lawyers are dedicated to the legal needs of accident victims and have successfully handled a broad range of cases. To schedule a free and 100% confidential consultation, call us at (800) 471-4100, fill out a contact form, or chat live with us on our site.