Nebraska semi driver was on Snapchat before crash that killed two, patrol says

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — A Nebraska man was arrested Sunday in connection with a deadly Clay County crash in 2023.

Justin Zoerb, 22, was booked into the Custer County Jail but quickly paid bail.

He is charged with two counts of motor vehicle homicide and one count of reckless driving.

SEE ALSO: Nebraska woman, child killed in head-on crash with semi near Hastings

On Aug. 9, 2023, Zoerb was driving west on U.S. Highway 6 near Hastings in a semitrailer loaded with animal feed.

Court documents say he was using Snapchat on his cellphone and didn’t see that westbound traffic had come to a stop.

When Zoerb realized what was happening, he swerved into the eastbound lane, according to an arrest affidavit.

The semi hit an oncoming SUV, the Nebraska State Patrol said.

The driver — 30-year-old Nicole Pavelka — and one of her children — 8-year-old Ryker Schlictman — died at the scene.

Three other children were injured, according to the patrol.

The family was from Davenport, a small village about 100 miles southwest of Lincoln.

Zoerb was arrested after the crash on a warrant from Hitchcock County.

Charges were filed in the crash on Thursday. A judge issued a warrant for Zoerb’s arrest and set his bond at $5,000.

Zoerb paid $500 to be released from jail on Sunday.

His next court appearance has not been set.