Dad of 7 Killed in Crash with Allegedly Impaired Driver While Delivering Fruit to Provide for Family
Maksym Vechirko was killed in Tooele County, Utah, on Saturday morning
Maksim Vechirko/ Facebook
Maksym Vechirko
A father of seven has been killed in a crash in Utah that police say was caused by an allegedly impaired driver. According to a statement[1] from the Utah Department of Public Safety, the crash occurred in Tooele County on Saturday morning at around 9:09 a.m. Officials identified the victim as Maksym Vechirko, 35, from Sacramento, Calif.
Per a GoFundMe page[2] set up to support Vechirko’s wife and their seven children, Vechirko — whose name is spelled Maksim on the page — was delivering fruit to provide for his family at the time of the incident. According to the page, which has received over £107,000 in donations, Vechirko’s wife is also expecting the couple’s eighth child. Per the statement from the DPS, Vechirko had pulled over on the right shoulder of the eastbound I-80 and was outside his Mercedes Sprinter van and trailer when the trailer was hit by a Hyundai Elantra.
After hitting the trailer, the Elantra then struck Vechirko, causing fatal injuries.
Maksim Vechirko/ Facebook
Maksym Vechirko
There were no other injuries in the crash, according to the authorities. As reported by local media outlet KJZZ-TV[3], officials said that Vechirko was the son of a passenger in the same vehicle. Per the outlet, Shelby Kenneth Secrist, 43, was later identified by police as the alleged driver of the car that struck Vechirko.
Utah Department of Public Safety
The incident happened in Tooele County on Saturday morning
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Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter[4] for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. According to a probable cause statement, per the outlet, authorities allegedly found controlled substances in Secrist’s vehicle. On Sunday, local media outlet KUTV [5]reported that Secrist had been arrested on multiple charges including automobile homicide, DUI, possession of drugs and paraphernalia, and having an open container of alcohol in a vehicle.
It’s not immediately clear if he has entered a plea or retained an attorney.
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Read the original article on People[7].
References
- ^ statement (dpsnews.utah.gov)
- ^ GoFundMe page (www.gofundme.com)
- ^ KJZZ-TV (kjzz.com)
- ^ PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter (forms.dotdashmeredith.com)
- ^ KUTV (kutv.com)
- ^ sign up for our newsletter! (forms.dotdashmeredith.com)
- ^ People (people.com)