Nebraska truck driver arrested and charged with aggression behind the wheel

By Hayden Godfrey, Herald Reporter

EVANSTON — Truck driver Harold Holder of Bellevue, Nebraska, was arrested May 27 on charges of aggravated assault and reckless driving, according to an affidavit filed by Lt. Matt Arnell of the Wyoming Highway Patrol.

When Arnell arrived at the crash scene near the third mile on I-80, he reportedly noticed a white box truck that had rolled over once, coming to a stop and trapping the driver, Ivan Petrovic, a Washington resident. Holder was waiting next to a parked semi-truck.

Evanston Police Department Officer Rebecca Landes told Arnell that two people saw the white box truck driving in front of the semi in the left lane. The box truck reportedly moved into the right lane before the semi caught up with it in the left lane and forced it off the road.

After driving alongside the semi-trailer for a distance, the van attempted to re-enter the road in front of the semi-trailer. Witnesses claimed that the rear of the van on the driver’s side struck the front of the semi-trailer. Petrovic then lost control of the van, drove toward the median and overturned.

Arnell reported that physical evidence at the scene indicated that the box truck had left the roadway to the right, then turned 180 degrees counterclockwise and continued rolling.

When questioned about the incident, Holder reportedly told Arnell that he was driving in the left lane before Petrovic crossed into his lane and struck his passenger side mirror. Petrovic continued driving when Holder signaled him to stop.

Holder said he didn’t know what happened next, but the van pulled in front of him and caused an accident. When asked if he swerved into the right lane and forced Petrovic off the road, Holder initially said no, then claimed he couldn’t remember, Arnell said.

After several phone calls, Arnell received footage from the semi’s dashboard camera. While waiting for the footage, he contacted another witness who claimed to have seen the accident from a half-mile or two behind the vehicles involved.

He reported that he saw the pickup truck attempt to pass the semi-truck from the right shoulder of the highway before striking the front of the semi-truck and losing control. He said it was an incident of road rage and he believes both parties are at fault.

Arnell then looked at the dashcam footage, which showed Holder in the right lane while Petrovic was driving ahead of him on the right. As Holder began to pass, Petrovic drifted slightly into the left lane.

Holder continued to overtake and headed for the left shoulder while Petrovic continued to move into the left lane and hit Holder’s mirror. Petrovic suddenly moved back into the right lane and overtook Holder, who slowed down to let him pass.

As the vehicles began to descend, Holder reportedly pulled alongside Petrovic and quickly moved into the right lane, forcing Petrovic onto the shoulder. Holder slowed down, and as Petrovic pulled back into the roadway, he accelerated again and struck the rear left corner of Petrovic’s vehicle, causing it to spin and roll over. Holder then parked his vehicle.

After viewing the footage, Arnell arrested Holder. During a visit to Evanston Regional Hospital, he was reportedly told that Petrovic had suffered serious injuries and had been flown by medical helicopter to the University of Utah Hospital.

Holder is scheduled to attend a pretrial conference on October 29, followed by a jury trial on November 19.

If convicted, Holder faces up to ten years and six months in prison and a $10,750 fine.