Minnesota semi driver wanted in I-90 fatality

RenegadeTrucker · Jan 26, 2014

This is kind of a personal one for me because it happened in my home town. I was sitting accross the street in Taco Johns eating lunch when these folks were there washing the body parts off their car.

All stories from the Livingston Enterprise.

[h=1]Minnesota semi driver wanted in I-90 fatality[/h]Authorities are searching for a Minnesota man they believe struck and killed an elderly Alaska man with a semi on Interstate 90 near Big Timber in September.

The Sweet Grass County Sheriffs Office issued an arrest warrant with a $250,000 bond on Friday for David Welk, 45, of St. Cloud, Minn.

Investigators believe Welk was driving a semi truck that initially struck and killed 81-year-old Elgie Bedford of Wasilla, Alaska, on Sept. 30 on Interstate 90 between Big Timber and Greycliff, near mile marker 376.

Authorities are searching for Welk but have not been able to locate him yet, Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Joe Hensley told The Livingston Enterprise on Thursday.
Welk is no longer employed by CRST International, an Iowa-based transportation company he was working for at the time of the accident, Hensley said, adding that Welk has no permanent address.

Hes a nomad by trade, Hensley said.

Sweet Grass County Sheriff Dan Tronrud told The Big Timber Pioneer this week that several law enforcement agencies in other states are involved in the search. Felony suspects can be extradited across state lines.

Welk is charged with leaving the scene of a fatal accident, a felony. Prosecutors say Welk knew or should have known Bedford was dead, say court documents filed in Sweet Grass County.

If convicted, Welk could be sentenced to one to 10 years in a state prison and ordered to pay a maximum $50,000 fine.

According to the affidavit filed in court, MHP Trooper Bill Bullock was contacted by Michael Karls of Phoenix on Oct. 25. Karls said he was in the sleeper berth of the semi Welk was driving when the truck collided with something on Sept. 30. Welk initially told Karls he hit someone, court documents say.

They drove past the scene several times to see what happened and saw what looked like clothing in the westbound passing lane, court documents say. Welk said it was just clothing and a duffel bag.

When Welk was located later in Ohio, he reportedly told a state trooper he hit a deer. He also told CRST repair personnel he hit a hawk, according to court documents.
Investigators say Bedford was apparently walking on the westbound side of the highway when he was hit on the morning of Sept. 30. His car was found abandoned on the eastbound side. Bedfords wife, Carol, told The Enterprise in October he was on an annual road trip to visit family in Texas.

Because of the state of remains at the scene, investigators originally had a hard time identifying Bedford. Evidence found at a Livingston car wash later that day, however, helped them identify him.

That evidence, witness statements, surveillance footage and a credit card receipt led authorities to a Washington father and daughter, Westley, 50, and Wryan Young, 31, who were allegedly involved in the I-90 incident as well.

The driver, Wryan Young, was charged in Sweet Grass County with leaving the scene of a fatal accident. She and her father, Westley, were charged in Park County with trying to cover up their involvement.

They were reportedly traveling westbound on I-90 that morning and stopped in Livingston. Wryan Young was overheard saying she hit furniture before they asked for directions to a car wash, court filings state.

The Youngs pleaded not guilty in December in Sixth Judicial District Court.

When questioned by Washington state authorities, Westley Young said they didnt hit Bedford first, but that it was a semi, according to court documents.
Click to expand...

[h=1]Police: Tip leads to suspect[/h]There was a sound as if the semi truck had collided with something.

I just hit someone.

Thats what prosecutors say David Welk, 45, told his co-driver, Michael Karls, Sept. 30, 2013, while driving a 2013 Freightliner semi truck westbound on Interstate 90 between Big Timber and Greycliff.

According to court filings Friday, authorities believe Welk struck and killed that person, later identified as 81-year-old Elgie Bedford.

Investigators say they dont know why Bedford, of Wasilla, Alaska, drove his car off the eastbound side of Interstate 90 sometime early on Sept. 30. It is also unclear why he left his car and was walking on the westbound side when he was struck and killed.

Two people, Wryan and Westley Young, a father and daughter from Washington, were charged in November with leaving the scene of a fatal accident and then trying to cover up their involvement.

But investigators said they were not the first to hit Bedford.

For almost four months, that piece of the puzzle has been a mystery.

It would be almost a month before authorities would get a lead on the driver, say court documents filed in Sweet Grass County on Friday.

On Oct. 25, Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Bill Bullock got a call from Karls, who lives in Phoenix. He told Bullock he was in the sleeper berth of the cab when the truck, driven by Welk, had the collision.

In a later interview with Detective Curt Gettings, an Arizona state investigator, Karls gave his account:

Welk was yelling and hollering and said, I just hit someone.

Karls asked if he was sure. They debated maybe it was a bear?

They stopped and checked, finding the trucks left headlight; drove to exit 370 and turned around, traveling eastbound to check again. Then, they took the Greycliff exit and began traveling westbound again.

They passed the site three times, Karls told Gettings.

Karls said there was something maybe clothing? in the westbound passing lane. Welk slowed, opened his door and shined a flashlight onto the pavement.

He looked for a long time an unusual amount of time, according to Karls statement. Later, Welk told Karls it was just some clothing and a duffel bag, say court filings.

Welk did not seem to be the same after the accident nervous and upset, according to court documents. Karls was uneasy and told investigators he began looking for information online about incidents around Big Timber. Thats how he found out about Bedfords death.

Following Karls tip, Welks truck was located in the western Ohio town of Eaton, population of about 8,000, not far from the Indiana border and Interstate 70.

An Ohio State trooper asked Welk about the crash in Montana. Welk told him he hit a deer, say court filings. He had to replace the left headlight, he told Vongsy.

At the time, Welk was working for CRST International, an Iowa-based transportation company. He told the repair shop he had hit a hawk and knocked out the headlight.
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RenegadeTrucker · Jan 26, 2014

And just found out they got the guy.

http://www.kulr8.com/story/24542956/sheriff-truck-driver-arrested-in-connection-to-big-timber-fatal

yessir · Jan 26, 2014

Im glad they get him nd i hope i will be in jail for life sentence because i have family out there driving on the highway i don't want them to get killed by these guys nd they won't stop nd when they call their safety dept they be like i hit a deer or a bear nd they think the safety guy is stupid

KW Cajun · Jan 26, 2014

Wow, this all happened on Sept 30th last year, but the co-driver (in sleeper) didn't contact the cops until almost a month later.
And shortly after that (1 month after fatality), the Ohio State Troopers located Welk & his truck in Eaton, OH and interviewed him.
Now why did they cut him loose at that point??

To top it off, the 81 yr old victim was also struck by the Washington state father/daughter in a 4 wheeler, who also did a hit & run, but were arrested shortly after the incident.

So you were across from the car wash when they attempted to wash away the evidence... wow.
**I hope they locate and nab the CRST driver, Welk, pronto.

**Edit: CRST driver Welk was captured. Thanks for the update MrBeast.

Oi! · Jan 26, 2014

Wait so the 81 yr old man was hitchhiking his way back to Alaska? WTF?

CondoCruiser · Jan 26, 2014

He knew he hit him and the clothes reinforced his thoughts. He ran like a chicken coward. Now face the music!

Chicken Running Scared Tonight!

Even the second ones that hit him still left the scene too. They deserve some kind of punishment. There's no proof whether he was dead or alive at that point.

I hope the family finds closure.

KW Cajun · Jan 26, 2014

Oi! said: ↑

Wait so the 81 yr old man was hitchhiking his way back to Alaska? WTF?
Click to expand...

From the article:

Bedfords wife, Carol, told The Enterprise in October he was on an annual road trip to visit family in Texas.
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That old fella sure got around. Most 81 yr old guys are either home 24/7 cooking soft chewable food or glued to their personalized bar stool at their local watering hole.

slowpoke89 · Jan 26, 2014

CRST does it again!!

WorldofTransportation · Jan 26, 2014

MrBeast said: ↑

And just found out they got the guy.

http://www.kulr8.com/story/24542956/sheriff-truck-driver-arrested-in-connection-to-big-timber-fatal
Click to expand...

What the f.... have we become as a society... people washing body parts off of a car.. and some douche bag not stopping when he hit someone... wtf.... I want to kill myself after reading how we have become.. f#$% really... This guy doesn't need 10 years... he needs a lot more than that... I get #### happens you hit things.. but you stop... he might have been ok if he stopped... Why was this guy in the road? I mean you could say he was there I didn't see him.. blah blah blah.. Suicide by truck.. happens often... but to just flee... This makes me sick....

RenegadeTrucker · Jan 26, 2014

Oi! said: ↑

Wait so the 81 yr old man was hitchhiking his way back to Alaska? WTF?
Click to expand...

No his car broke down and he was walking back to town down the shoulder.

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