Indianapolis, IN – The trucker accused of numerous crimes stemming from a seven-vehicle chain reaction crash in Indianapolis last July that claimed the lives of a woman and her young twins has agreed to a plea deal.

Bruce Pollard, 57, of Sturgeon, MO, has agreed to plead Guilty But Mentally Ill to multiple charges.

Pollard was behind the wheel of a semi-truck traveling in the westbound lanes of Interstate 465 shortly after 12 p.m. on July 14, 2019, when he plowed into slowed traffic causing a fiery chain reaction crash.

Twenty-nine year old Alanna Koons and her 18-month-old twin daughters, June and Ruby, died at the scene.

During an investigation, Pollard told the Indiana State Police (ISP) that a white vehicle cut him off as he was reaching for his iced tea.

Pollard also asserted, according to an affidavit, that his brakes “locked up on him,” and he did not mean to strike the other vehicles.

In the days following the accident, Marion County prosecutors filed three felony counts of reckless homicide, one felony count of reckless operation of a vehicle in a work zone and seven additional counts of misdemeanor reckless driving against Pollard.

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In August, the U.S. Department of Transportation declared Pollard an “imminent hazard,” and ordered him to no longer operate a commercial vehicle.

Also in August, Pollard’s attorney, Jack Crawford, filed a motion seeking a psychiatric exam for his client and raising the prospect Pollard may be mentally unfit to stand trial.

According to Crawford, Pollard exhibited signs he was suffering from a mental illness and acting “almost child-like.”

However, in November of 2019, Crawford and the prosecutor’s office both confirmed Pollard’s psychiatric exam came back ruling Pollard was competent to face a trial for his alleged offenses.

The trial was set to begin in January 2020, but on Monday, Crawford announced Pollard has agreed to plea deal.

According to multiple local news outlets, the deal calls for Pollard to plead Guilty But Mentally Ill and face a sentence of 3 to 9 years in state custody.

A judge must accept the plea deal before Pollard can be sentenced.

Transportation Nation Network will continue to follow this case.

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