Investigators announced Thursday that they have filed two criminal charges against a truck driver nearly five months after he was arrested for allegedly driving into a large crowd of protesters on the Interstate 35 west bridge near Minneapolis on May 31. The trucker was beaten during the incident and hospitalized.
Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman’s office stated that Bogdan Vechirko, 35, of Otsego, Minnesota, was charged with threats of violence, a felony, and criminal vehicular operation, a gross misdemeanor.
His first court appearance is Nov. 10. Vechirko is not in custody.
According to the Hennepin County complaint, Vechirko “admitted that he was kind of in a hurry” and that when he saw the crowd, “he hoped that if he went slow the crowd would let him past.”
The complaint states that investigators conducted a “thorough investigation” which showed that Vechirko “wanted to scare people out of his path.”
“In addition to traffic cameras, officers collected a number of cell phone videos that captured portions of the incident,” investigators stated in the complaint. “Various collected videos show that in addition to the large crowd, there were multiple vehicles stopped on I-35W northbound as the road approached the bridge and that a number of vehicles were driving the wrong-direction up an entrance ramp.”
Investigators also used a tractor-trailer similar to Vechirko’s rig to reenact his drive on I-35.
The video shows that Vechirko’s “line of sight would have given him sufficient time to stop his truck after viewing the crowd,” the complaint states.
One person suffered scrapes and abrasions to her leg during the incident, according to investigators. Vechirko was pulled from his cab and beaten. It’s unclear if anyone was charged in his attack.
This is a developing story.
Read more articles by FreightWaves Senior Editor Clarissa Hawes
Food service company stands behind driver arrested during Maine protest
Truckers on edge as civil unrest rages in major U.S. cities
Calling out racism in trucking
Brokerage Compliance Symposium
The day before F3. Every compliance issue you face - fraud exposure, carrier liability, FMCSA rules, cargo theft, insurance gaps - navigated by attorneys and operators defining best practices in a changing industry.
F3 Awards Dinner
The night before F3. FreightTech100 companies honored. FreightTech 25 and Shipper of Choice winners revealed live. Cocktail reception into dinner and live music - 300 industry leaders in one purpose-built room.
F3: Future of Freight Festival
Industry-defining keynotes, rapid-fire technology demos, and industry leaders networking in experiences across Chattanooga - plus the inaugural F3 Awards Dinner featuring the FreightTech and Shipper of Choice reveals.
The day before F3. Every compliance issue you face - fraud exposure, carrier liability, FMCSA rules, cargo theft, insurance gaps - navigated by attorneys and operators defining best practices in a changing industry.
The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN Register NowThe night before F3. FreightTech100 companies honored. FreightTech 25 and Shipper of Choice winners revealed live. Cocktail reception into dinner and live music - 300 industry leaders in one purpose-built room.
The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN Register NowIndustry-defining keynotes, rapid-fire technology demos, and industry leaders networking in experiences across Chattanooga - plus the inaugural F3 Awards Dinner featuring the FreightTech and Shipper of Choice reveals.
The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN Register Now