As families mourn, truck driver charged in Sherman wreck

[TexasStooge]

By STEVE STOLER / WFAA-TV

SHERMAN, Texas - The driver of a tractor-trailer that veered into oncoming traffic and caused a wreck in which 10 people died is in the Grayson County jail, charged with ten counts of criminally-negligent homicide.

Investigators used an interpreter to question Miroslav Jozwiak, a Polish citizen who drove a truck for an Indiana company. Authorities believe Jozwiak's 18-wheeler careened across the median of U.S. Highway 75 near Sherman, smashing into a pickup and then a sport utility vehicle. Five men in the pickup were killed as were another five people in the SUV, including a Collin County woman, her mother and three children.

"We've interviewed several witnesses, some of which have told us they never saw any brake lights on the trailer," said Sherman Lt. Todd Smithers.

Mike Martin feared the worst when heard about the horrific wreck and then could not reach his wife on her cell phone. He drove to the crash scene, where he identified a damaged license plate.

"He said he just had a real sick feeling that that was his family," said family member Caroll Lokey.

"You just can't imagine losing your whole family at one time like that," said relative Jason Lokey. "It's just something you can't prepare yourself for."

Martin gave News 8 a written statement with a brief description of his lost family members in his own words.

In that statement, he said his wife Lisa listened to everyone and cared for all. His four-year-old son Chance never met a stranger. His 2-year-old son Brock escaped trouble with the charm of a politician. Martin also called his six-week-old baby Reid "our lovable comforting boy, too sweet for words," and described Betsy Wood, his mother-in-law, as a giver and a natural teacher.

The accident ended in a devastating loss for a Dallas family as well. Brigada Esparza lost five members of her family in the fiery crash, including her husband Juan and her 19-year-old son German. The two, along with other family members, were riding in a pick-up truck returning from work when the tractor-trailer crossed the median into their lane.

"All of my family was ripped apart," Esparza said through an interpreter, tears streaming down her cheeks. "In a short moment, my family vanished."

Two members of the Esparza family survived the accident, and are recovering tonight in area hospitals.

A Denton County school district is also forced to deal with the loss. Lisa Martin only taught in Little Elm for a year and a half, yet last year the district named her teacher of the year.

"They were all devastated," said Little Elm ISD's Tammie Seay. "That someone can have that big of an impact in one year and a half is a testament to the incredible person that she was."

The Collin County man who lost his wife, three children and mother-in-law said he doesn't want what happened to his family to happen to another family. He said he doesn't want vengenance, he just wants justice.

WFAA ABC 8's Bert Lozano and KUVN Univision 23 contributed to this report.

[Skywatch_NC]

My prayers and thoughts to the surviving family members and friends of those killed and for the injured.

Wonder if the truck driver had been drinking? Also, too many truckers today try to log way too many hours in for their companies...always $$$$$ the issue...just gotta make THAT deadline!

Eric