Plea hearing delayed for truck driver facing manslaughter charges in deadly Highway 20 crash
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- A Deschutes County judge agreed Tuesday to postpone plea entry by a truck driver facing manslaughter charges after a newlywed couple crashed into his jackknifed rig on Highway 20 east of Bend and were killed.
It's the second delay in entry of plea by Rajinder Kumar, 32, who faces two counts of first-degree manslaughter and three counts of recklessly endangering another person.
The Nov. 24 crash about 50 miles east of Bend killed driver William Micah Carter 25, and passenger Jennifer Lower Carter, 24.
Defense attorney Andrew Ince Jr. asked Circuit Judge Wells Ashby to reset the plea hearing for about six weeks out. Ashby agreed, but did not schedule it immediately. Instead, he told Kumar and others the date and time would be set by the end of the day.
Court records later Tuesday showed the plea hearing is now set for Feb. 25.
Kumar remains held on $500,000 and is the subject of a federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrest detainer, accused of being in the country illegally.
