Driver charged after boulder falls off truck, kills 2 in Rosemount
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A truck driver faces criminal charges after a boulder he was hauling dislodged and crashed into a car Monday killing two people.
Joseph Paul Czeck, 33, of Hastings, was charged Friday with four counts of criminal vehicular homicide in connection with the crash near the Flint Hills refinery that killed 67-year-old Karen Christiansen and her 32-year-old daughter, Jena Christiansen, the Dakota County's Attorney's Office said.
The 1,100-pound rock crashed through their Toyota Avalon, killing them at the scene.
Using images from surveillance video at the Flint Hills refinery, Rosemount police tracked down the commercial vehicle's owner, Czeck Services, identified Joseph Czeck as the driver and arrested him in Inver Grove Heights.
"This was a senseless and avoidable tragedy that claimed two lives," Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom said in a statement. "Anyone involved in a vehicle crash must remain at the scene and contact law enforcement."
Backstrom's office said Czeck made his first appearance in court Friday with bail set at $70,000 without conditions. His next court appearance is set for Oct. 4 in Hastings.
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