The Grand Forks County State's Attorney's Office is reviewing a Highway Patrol investigation into a crash that killed three people on U.S. Highway 2 in July to determine whether criminal charges are warranted for involved drivers.
On the evening of July 18, nine passengers were traveling west in a Chevrolet Express van on Highway 2 about 5 miles west of Grand Forks when the driver moved from the right to left lane to turn around at a crossover, according to the North Dakota Highway Patrol. A semi truck was in the left lane and struck the van as it merged. The van entered the median and rolled, tossing several occupants from the vehicle.
Three occupants, all from Grand Forks, were killed: Jason Boppre, 39; William Joyner, 66; and Gary Voeller, 41.
Six other occupants were injured: Todd Oksendahl, 40; Constantino Ibarra Jr., 27; Ronald Creutz, 59; Kimberly Allard, 45; Evelyn Poppenhagen, 55; and Gerald Kraviec, 22. Kraviec, a Hatton, N.D., resident, was the only van occupant not from Grand Forks.
The driver of the van was 43-year-old Jeannie Northburg, according to the Highway Patrol. The semi driver, Timothy Nystrum, was uninjured.
Grand Forks State's Attorney David Jones told the Herald his office has received the bulk of the investigatory information from the Highway Patrol, but said there are some outstanding records they'll need to review before making a decision. The outstanding information largely consists of cell phone records from parties involved, Jones said.
Jones said his office and the Highway Patrol have continuously shared information about the crash. There is no timetable for when charges, if deemed appropriate, would be filed.
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The van's passengers worked at Grand Forks Air Force Base through a program employing workers with disabilities and were traveling in the direction of the base at the time of the crash.
GFAFB Chief of Public Affairs Shaun Shenk told the Herald the van's passengers worked at the base, but he said he did not know if the group was heading there at the time.
The van passengers' contract with the base is through AbilityOne, a federal program that provides jobs for people with disabilities. AbilityOne operates Base Supply Centers on many military institutions across the country.
