“This has to change” | Family of New Jersey man killed in tractor-trailer crash sues driver

AVONDALE – Holidays and family gatherings will never be the same for Zackery Leffler’s loved ones.

The 25-year-old from Northern Kentucky had just celebrated his engagement to his high school sweetheart and a budding career at a startup when his life suddenly came to a halt. In December 2023, he was killed when a 40-ton semi-trailer truck collided with his truck.

When Ohio State Police officers arrived at the scene, they found the semi-truck slanted down an embankment along I-80. Leffler's pickup truck had become a twisted mass of metal.

“If you read the police report – (Zack) had no chance. Zack was in the left lane, this guy seemed to be in the left lane … and he turned so fast,” said Leffler's father, Joe.

Joe Leffler, along with friends and family and attorney Shean Williams of the Cochran Firm, called for justice on Wednesday after a judge, they said, denied it.

On Monday, the driver of the semi-truck learned he won't have to spend any time in jail. Davit Pluidze had previously pleaded no contest to a charge of involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 30 days of house arrest plus two years' probation, 50 hours of community service and a $750 fine.

Before the judge announced the sentence, Pludize apologized to the court, saying he had never been involved in an accident, had never consumed drugs or alcohol while driving, and had lost consciousness and control of his truck on the day of the accident due to illness.

“The judge did not revoke his license,” said Leffler's mother, Shannon Ponder. “I don't understand how you can't revoke someone's license when they just told you they caused a fatal accident because they have a medical condition.”

Leffler's parents said the verdict was the first they or prosecutors had heard of a possible medical condition. Had they known earlier, investigators might have looked into the claim sooner, they said.

“If someone kills someone else and they're driving a truck, shouldn't they be held responsible?” said Joe Leffler. “This guy killed a kid with such a bright future and he gets 30 days in his house in New Jersey and Zack is dead.”

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In June, Leffler's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Pludize and RFS Group, Inc., the transportation company he was driving for at the time of the accident, claiming Pludize should not have been behind the wheel.

The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Chicago, where RFS Group, Inc. is based.

Williams said officers found vials of prescription drugs in the cab of the truck, but ruled out any suspicion that Pludize was impaired. Pludize was taken to the hospital and released hours later.

Although federal regulations require CDL drivers involved in fatal crashes to undergo drug testing, Pludize only underwent a standard blood draw at the hospital, according to Williams.

“Nobody in the investigation of this accident conducted a drug test, a toxicology report or an impairment test on him at the scene,” Williams said. “We're here because this bad driver with this bad driving history, who clearly had something wrong with him that day, didn't get any jail time. He's still driving for another company today.”

Leffler's family is now seeking a change in the law, demanding that lawmakers require drug testing for truck drivers involved in fatal crashes. They said the decision should not be left to the discretion of local law enforcement.

The family also wants to ensure that the Department of Transportation leads all investigations related to fatal truck crashes.

“If an Ohio DOTE officer, rather than a regular police officer, had conducted the investigation and was familiar with these regulations, the investigation would have been different and we believe the outcome would have been different because we believe it would have been a felony and not a misdemeanor,” Williams said.

WCPO reached out to RFS Group, Inc. for comment but did not receive a response by publication time. Pludize could not be reached either.

Leffler attended Thomas More College before transferring to NKU, where he played for the university's club team. He graduated from NKU in 2021.

His family said he was well-loved in the community. More than 3,000 people from across Ohio and Kentucky attended the 25-year-old's funeral.

“If someone kills someone else while driving a truck, shouldn't they be held responsible? Shouldn't there be an act that is more serious than a typical car accident?” Joe Leffler said. “That has to change. That has to change.”