A day after investigators said a sleeping truck driver slammed his big rig into a row of cars, the loved ones of a young veteran killed in the crash remembered his life.
“He was a great person and he always would make people laugh when they were down, he was a good ‘go-to guy’ when you had an issue and wanted to talk to somebody,” said Mark Wickline.
Wickline held back tears as he spoke about his brother Jeremy Augustine. Jeremy was on his way to work Wednesday morning when a tractor-trailer blindsided his car along Allentown Pike (U.S. Route 22) in Maidencreek Township, Pennsylvania.
Nurse Jane Harakel, 32, of Topton, Pennsylvania was killed in the pileup.
Jeremy was just 23 — the crash happened along his normal route to work. His family tried calling him after seeing the crash on the news.
“When he didn’t pick up I knew something was wrong,” Wickline said.
Jeremy’s car was one of nine cars in the pileup. His car came to a rest against a Dunkin’ Donuts sign trapping Jeremy in the car.
Wickline said his brother graduated from nearby Emmaus High School then decided to go into the military shortly after marrying his high school sweetheart.
“He signed right up right out of high school,” Wickline said.
Jeremy went on to serve in Germany before returning home to work for Garda Security in Reading, Pennsylvania.
The driver of the big rig — identified by Berks County District Attorney John Adams as 50-year-old Steven Bernier — was charged with two counts of homicide by vehicle, nine counts of aggravated assault, two counts of involuntary manslaughter, reckless endangerment, speeding and driving violations.
Surveillance video captured the entire wreck.
"In reviewing the video, this should not have happened," Adams said. "This tractor-trailer just never stopped, resulting in a horrific accident."
Bernier hid his face and said nothing as police led him into court. He remains jailed on $500,000 bail.
"It just seemed like it didn't stop," said Jake Gast, who along with his two co-workers, 50-year-old Roger Hiler and 26-year-old Nick Bowker, were inside one of the cars that was struck. "When it was over I was sitting there not knowing whether I was dead or alive."
Bernier, a registered sex offender out on parole, was driving the truck for Cougle's Recycling. Bernier began his shift at 1:30 a.m. Wednesday and admitted to falling asleep at the wheel, Adams said.
"When he woke up he laid on the brakes but needless to say the tractor-trailer careened across his lane of traffic, impacting two vehicles waiting to leave this scene at the Dunkin' Donuts," Adams said.
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Gast told NBC10 he approached Bernier moments after the crash and asked him what happened.
"He was beside himself," Gast said. "He just said, 'You know what? I dozed off. Man I just dozed off. Man I just dozed off.'"
Rather than focus on the suspect, Wickline asked people to focus on the victims.
“Just say a prayer for everybody that was involved in this incident,” Wickline said. “It’s a huge tragedy.”
