NORTH PLATTE, Neb. A New York truck driver has been arrested for motor vehicle homicide following an investigation into a fatal two-semi crash on Interstate 80 in Nebraska earlier this month.
The Nebraska State Patrol announced Monday that Aleks Latsabidze, 46, of New York, was arrested following the August 15 crash in Lincoln County.
Lincoln County booking photo of Aleks Latsabidze, 46, of New York. Nebraska State Patrol says Latsabidze was arrested for motor vehicle homicide following an August 15, 2026, fatal crash involving two semis on Interstate 80 in Lincoln County, Nebraska. Photo: Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.
The crash occurred near mile marker 198 on I-80 and involved a tractor-trailer pulling a flatbed and a second tractor-trailer, according to NSP.
Investigators say Latsabidze’s semi and flatbed had been parked on the shoulder of the interstate before entering the travel lanes.
“Preliminary investigation showed that the semi/flat-bed trailer had been parked on the shoulder of I-80,” Nebraska State Patrol said in its August 24 statement.
According to investigators, the truck then merged onto I-80 and was traveling below the minimum speed limit when it was struck from behind by the second semi.
The driver of that truck, Jose Espinosa Salazar, 40, of Florida, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Following additional investigation, troopers arrested Latsabidze on suspicion of motor vehicle homicide. He was lodged in the Lincoln County Jail.
The Nebraska State Patrol says the investigation remains ongoing.
Latsabidze was already in custody
Publicly available booking information indicates Latsabidze had already been taken into custody one day after the crash.
A Lincoln County booking record dated August 16 lists Latsabidze as being booked by the Nebraska State Patrol with an immigration-related hold or violation listed in connection with his detention.
That occurred approximately eight days before NSP publicly announced his arrest for motor vehicle homicide.
The distinction is important. The August 16 detention and the subsequently announced homicide arrest are separate developments in the publicly available record.
A booking photograph attributed to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office has also been publicly released.
Federal immigration case filed days after crash
Federal court records show Latsabidze subsequently challenged his immigration detention.
A federal habeas corpus case, Latsabidze v. Kramer et al., was filed August 19 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nebraska.
The federal docket categorizes the case as an immigration habeas matter involving an alien detainee.
Information contained in litigation surrounding the case describes Latsabidze as a native and citizen of Georgia who entered the United States following inspection on a B-1/B-2 nonimmigrant visa.
Records and reporting concerning the filing indicate that he later sought asylum and pursued an employment-based pathway toward permanent residency.
Those details concern Latsabidze’s immigration proceedings and should not be interpreted as establishing that he was unlawfully driving a commercial vehicle.
TWOSU News has not independently established that Latsabidze’s commercial driver’s license was invalid, improperly issued or otherwise unlawful at the time of the crash.
His immigration status, employment authorization and eligibility to operate a commercial motor vehicle are separate legal questions from the criminal investigation into the fatal crash.
Questions remain about the trucking operation
The Nebraska State Patrol release does not identify the motor carrier operating the flatbed combination, the owner of the tractor or trailer, or Latsabidze’s employer.
It also does not identify the state that issued his commercial driver’s license.
Those details could become significant as investigators reconstruct why the truck was stopped on the shoulder, how it subsequently entered the interstate and how fast it was traveling immediately before the collision.
A tractor-trailer entering interstate traffic substantially below highway speed can create an extreme closing-speed hazard for approaching traffic. Exactly what happened during the moments preceding this collision, however, remains part of the investigation.
The Nebraska State Patrol has characterized its findings as preliminary.
Latsabidze’s arrest represents an allegation. He is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
TWOSU News will continue reviewing court, commercial-vehicle and public records as additional information becomes available.
