This was the scene later in the morning of July 27 as authorities were cleaning up the wreck scene near Clay County Hospital in Flora. Two Richland County men died in the three-vehicle collision; the trucker from Missouri involved in the crash, Walter Pollock (shown here in a Clay County mugshot), has been charged in their deaths. (photo of truck submitted by a Disclosure reader)
CLAY CO. – A Missouri trucker has been charged with two counts of Reckless Homicide, among other serious charges, following an investigation into a wreck that killed two young men from the area on July 27.
Walter Beck Pollock, 62, of Sikeston, Missouri, was behind the wheel of a 2014 Freightliner early that morning (5:51 a.m.) eastbound on U.S. Route 45 at Stanford Street in Flora when he swerved into the westbound lane without notice.
The big truck struck a minivan being driven by Eric Bosel, 29, of Noble, who was westbound on 45 at the same location. The collision killed Bosel.
The truck then veered off the collision with Bosel’s minivan and struck another westbound vehicle, a Nissan utility truck being driven by Jacob Russell Stewart, 27, of Olney. All three vehicles went off the roadway to the north.
Both Bosel’s and Stewart’s vehicles burst into flames, which claimed Stewart’s life.
Pollock was taken to Clay County Hospital, where a blood draw was done and a DUI-Drugs was initially cited.
Along with that citation, Pollock was also issued citations for Improper Lane Usage and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
Apparently after the issuance of these, Pollock went back to Missouri (with his license suspended per Illinois DUI laws) and lawyered up with none other than the high-end attorney hired to represent Danny Coston in his murder case, Scott Rosenblum of St. Louis.
Rosenblum got right on it, requesting to suspend the statutory summary suspension imposed on Pollock by the court, likely because Pollock earns a living driving.
A hearing for that matter was set for August 28.
However, on that day, State’s Attorney Joel Powless had some new filings ready.
Pollock was thereby charged with two counts of Class 3 felony Reckless Homicide with a Motor Vehicle; three counts of Class 2 felony Aggravated DUI causing an Accident leading to Death; a Class 3 count of Possession of Meth less than 5 grams, and two Class 4 felony Violation of Illinois Motor Carrier Law.
Pollock was served the warrant on the charges and taken into custody, where he was able to post $25,000 cash bond on the quarter-million-dollar bail set.
Pollock, as terms of his release on bond, was ordered to refrain from alcohol, non-prescribed drugs and illegal drugs, and was advised that he would be subjected to random testing for same, even by Missouri authorities, during the pendency of the case.
It’s unclear whether Rosenblum is going to stay on after the felony charges were filed; his specialty does include serious DUIs and such associated occurrences that motor vehicle carriers (truckers) might run into, but the new and much more serious charges may have taken him by surprise.
The public will know more upon the preliminary hearing for Pollock, which is scheduled for September 13 on all counts.