Trucker accused in deadly I-75 crash appears in court today

February 6, 2017 at 10:42 a.m. | Updated February 7, 2017 at 4:35 a.m.

by Staff Report

FILE - In this Sept. 11, 2015, file photo, Benjamin Scott Brewer, center, appears for his arraignment in Chattanooga, Tenn. Federal investigators said Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2016, that Brewer failed to slow down in a construction zone, was probably fatigued and had taken methamphetamine to stay awake. Brewer's tractor trailer crashed into multiple vehicles on Interstate 75, killing six and injuring six others on June 25, 2015. (Dan Henry/Chattanooga Times Free Press via AP, File)
FILE - In this Sept. 11, 2015, file photo, Benjamin Scott Brewer, center, appears for his arraignment in Chattanooga, Tenn. Federal investigators said Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2016, that Brewer failed to slow down in a construction zone, was probably fatigued and had taken methamphetamine to stay awake. Brewer's tractor trailer crashed into multiple vehicles on Interstate 75, killing six and injuring six others on June 25, 2015. (Dan Henry/Chattanooga Times Free Press via AP, File)

UPDATE: Ben Brewer appeared in a brief court hearing today, saying nothing as his lawyer filed two new motions.

His trial date is still set for April 4, with hearings on the new motions to take place March 2.

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ORIGINAL STORY: The suspect in a 2015 crash that killed six people on Interstate 75 is expected to appear in court today for a pretrial conference.

The National Transportation Safety Board has said Ben Brewer, who was driving a tractor trailer at the time of the crash, was fatigued and had been using drugs prior to the deadly pileup.

Investigators also said Brewer did not slow down from a speed of about 80 mph despite ample warnings that he was approaching a construction zone with a 55-mph limit on I-75. There was no indication of heavy braking or that he tried to take evasive action before causing the crash, which involved seven vehicles occupied by 18 people. Six others were injured.

Brewer is charged with six counts of vehicular homicide.

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