Husband speaks out against judge’s ruling in deadly crash case

The man whose wife was killed in a crash on Interstate 70 speaks out against a judge for allowing the truck driver involved to continue to drive.

Boone County Judge, Christine Carpenter ruled last week the truck driver, Anthony West, will be allowed to operate a motor vehicle. Alvin Haile, the husband of Margaret Haile, who was killed in the crash, said West was negligent and should not be allowed behind the wheel.

“This was not an accident. This was a pure case of being neglectful and I don’t understand it. I just can’t get it through my mind that she would let this man behind the wheel of a vehicle again,” said Alvin Haile.

Alvin Haile’s wife, Margaret, was driving west down Interstate 70 on July 1 when she got stuck in a line of traffic because of a crash up the road. She was on her way from her home in Auxvasse to visit Haile in a Columbia hospital.

West was driving his truck west that day. A highway patrol crash report obtained by ABC 17 News shows that West drove by a Missouri Department of Transportation sign, and other markers — warning of the backed-up traffic and crashed into Margaret Haile’s Ford pickup at 68 miles mph– killing her.

West was charged with involuntary manslaughter and will be in Boone County court on March 29.

“I’d like to see him put in jail. I’d like to see him go to prison. That’s what he deserves,” said Haile.

ABC17 News contacted West for comment on the interview with Alvin Haile. West said his attorney told him not to comment on the case.

West did state in the highway patrol crash report that he pressed on his brakes all the way to the floor but was unable to stop. A highway patrol investigation found nothing wrong with West’s brakes.