Big Rig Causes Six Car Pile Up Killing 1 Man, Driver Admits to Having no Breaks

A big rig driver identified as Valerijs N. Belovs age 55 of Northeast Philadelphia pleaded guilty to the charges of homicide by motor vehicle in a Montgomery County Court.

The charges stem from an accident on the Schuylkill Expressway, which caused a six car pileup and causing fatal personal injury to a Fort Washington man. The accident occurred when traffic slowed to a stop and Belovs coming around a curve in the road did not slow the tractor trailer striking the vehicle that David Schreffler age 49 was driving, pushing his vehicle into another vehicle.

The judge that accepted Belovs plea, Judge William R. Carpenter, has deferred the sentencing until the county adult probation office submits their background report. The truck driver could be sentenced between 8 ½ years and 17 years in jail. Belovs, a Latvia native, was granted political asylum in the United States is currently being held in lieu of $50,000 bail. He will need a good attorney.

Belovs is one of three men that were arrested in the pileup that killed the father of three, the owner of the gypsy trucking operation Victor M. Kalinitchii the 40-year-old Philadelphia owner of the tractor or truck part of the rig. Kaliniatchii was responsible for maintenance on both the truck and the trailer.

The third man arrested is identified as Joseph W. Jadczak Jr., the 61 year old Milton Delaware man is suspected of allegedly selling inspection stickers without doing the state required inspections.

it is good to have a Philadelphia personal injury lawyer at a time like this

The lawyer for Belovs, who was on a west coast trip, has stated that the truck driver was carrying broccoli at the time of the crash and realized while in the Chicago area there were break problems and the breaks had gone out. Belovs contacted the trucking company several times about the breaks.