Truck Driver Had 20 Traffic Violations Prior to Fatal Idaho Crash

An investigation revealed that a truck driver who authorities say caused a crash that killed him and three Idaho airmen had more than 20 traffic violations in several states.

Illya Tsar was driving a 2019 Volvo tractor-trailer east on Interstate 84 on June 16 when he slammed into the back of a Jeep Wrangler that was stopped in traffic, according to a preliminary crash report by the National Transportation Safety Board.

Mountain Home Senior Airmen Carlos Johnson, Lawrence Manlapit III and Karlie Westall were killed in the crash, the Idaho Statesman reported .

Tsar, who lived in Rochester, New York, was a contracted driver for Krujex Freight Transport Corp. The company’s rate of driver out-of-service violations – which means the violations were a serious, immediate danger to themselves or others on the road – is three times higher than the national average.

Krujex did not respond to requests for comment.

An investigation by the Statesman into Tsar’s driving record revealed more than 20 driving-related violations in four states – most in Oregon and Idaho – and evidence of more violations in other states.

One of Tsar’s most recent charges was misdemeanor driving with a suspended license in Boise. He failed to show up in court on that April 2017 charge, and a warrant for his arrest was issued in January this year.

Tsar turned himself into the Ada County Jail on the suspended license warrant on May 10, according to jail records. He was released in less than an hour, a sheriff’s official said.

That was a little more than a month before the fatal crash in Boise.

Through a GoFundMe account set up online, Tsar’s family received more than $28,700 in donations for funeral expenses. They have not returned phone calls from the Statesman.