The tractor trailer driver accused of causing a deadly pileup on Route 222 in Berks County on Wednesday is now behind bars.
Steven Bernier fell asleep at the wheel of the truck while driving south on 222 in Maidencreek Township around 6:30 a.m., authorities said.
Bernier couldn't react in time to avoid the crash and plowed into nine other vehicles, many of which were stopped in a line of traffic. Others were waiting to pull out of a nearby Dunkin' Donuts parking lot.
Two people were killed and nine others were injured, officials said.
Bernier, 50, of Reading, was arraigned late Wednesday night on multiple charges, including two counts each of homicide by vehicle and involuntary manslaughter, nine counts of aggravated assault while driving, and 10 counts of reckless endangerment.
Bernier was subsequently committed to the Berks County Jail on $500,000 bail, which he was unable to post because of a parole violation on prior charges, officials said.
Bernier pleaded guilty to a motor vehicle violation (operating unsafe equipment) in Lancaster County in October 2014, according to court documents. He's also under supervision for being a registered sex offender, according to Berks County District Attorney John Adams.
Prosecutors attributed the quick arrest in the case to the crash being recorded by Dunkin' Donuts surveillance cameras. Adams said the video was both "telling" and "graphic."
Bernier's employer, Hamburg-based Cougle's Recycling Inc. (CRI), released the following statement Wednesday evening:
"We are praying for all those involved in today's terrible accident. We cannot sufficiently express our deepest condolences to all who have been impacted by this tragic event," said Matthew Cougle, the company's chief operating officer. "We will cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation as the facts continue to unfold."
The Berks County coroner identified the two people who were killed in the crash as Jane Harakal, 32, of Topton, Berks County, and Jeremy Augustine, 23, of Emmaus, Lehigh County.
The surviving victims suffered non-life-threatening injuries, officials said.
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