Trucker sentenced in Bodie Flat fatal

The California truck driver responsible for a fatal Feb. 23, 2021, traffic collision in the Pine Nut Mountains was sentenced to 270 days in jail on Thursday.

Dzmitry Y. Zantsevich, of North Highlands, Calif., was driving south on Highway 395 at around 9 a.m. when he failed to see that Bodie Flat resident Sean Leonard’s pickup was stopped waiting for the oncoming lane to clear before turning onto Courtland Avenue.

The pickup was pushed into the path of an oncoming 2016 Peterbilt utility service truck that collided with Leonard’s pickup. The 54-year-old former tow truck driver was pronounced dead at the scene.

Justice of the Peace Steve McMorris sentenced Zantsevich to 180 days in jail for misdemeanor vehicular homicide and 90 days for obstructing a public officer.

Zantsevich admitted both charges on Aug. 24, according to court documents. The obstruction charge dealt with a violation in the trucker’s logbooks.

Zantsevich was remanded to the custody of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday to begin to serve his sentence.

McMorris also fined Zantsevich $1,000 and ordered him to complete 120 hours of community service. Zantsevich had been free since the collision.