Truck Driver Sentenced in Fatal Crash

CARTERSVILLE, GA -- The man who whose tractor trailer plowed into a pickup truck and took the life of a young wife and mother has been sentenced for his part in the fatal collision.

Ivan Delgado on Wednesday entered a guilty plea to charge of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of reckless conduct and two counts of cruelty to children in the second degree, said Bartow County Senior Assistant District Attorney Sharon M. Fox.

Delgado was the driver of an 18-wheeler that landed on top of a Toyota Tundra on Aug. 13, 2015, along U.S. 41 near Zep Industries in Emerson. That collision killed 31-year-old Kyra Karr and injured her husband, Reid Karr, and their two children.

The guilty pleas were made before Chief Superior Court Judge David K. Smith. As part of the plea negotiations, Fox said the state declined to move forward with the remaining counts of the indictment.

Delgado, who was 52 at the time of his arrest, has been sentenced to 30 years, 10 of which he will serve in prison.

He will also get time served dating back to his arrest. Additional stipulations include paying restitution in the amount of $7,373 for funeral expenses, having no contact with the Karr family, surrendering his commercial driver’s license and not obtaining a new commercial driver’s license during the period of probation.

"We are very glad that the victims’ family had an opportunity to participate in the plea and sentencing process and that they feel that justice was served in this case," Fox added.

Emerson Police Chief Stan Bradley previously told Patch the investigation revealed that Delgado was conducting an pre-trip inspection of his truck in the lot of Zep Industries prior to departing with his load.

At that time, the truck began to roll "due to failure of the driver to set the parking brakes," Bradley said.

"The truck traveled uncontrolled down a steep entrance/exit to the business, gaining speed as it traveled towards U.S. 41 where it struck the Toyota, which was traveling north on U.S. 41," the chief added.

Bradley added the initial crash pushed the Toyota across the median and through the southbound lanes, and both vehicles subsequently overturned onto the guardrail.

According to a Facebook post made by missionary organization IMB, the Karrs were appointed as IMB missionaries in 2009 and were serving in Rome at the time of the crash.

They were about to return to the field for their third term of service after a brief stateside assignment. Karr graduated from the University of Georgia and grew up attending Tabernacle Baptist Church in Cartersville, the post states.

Image via Shutterstock