Kearney Man Sentenced For Fatal Crash

By Signal Staff

A Kearney man has been sentenced to a year in jail and two years probation for killing an 83-year-old Carleton woman with his semi-tractor trailer about 20 months ago in rural Fillmore County.
Last Wednesday, Fillmore County Court Judge Michael P. Burns sentenced Matthew R. Supanchick, 28, Kearney to 365 days in the Fillmore County Jail, 24 months court-ordered probation and a $500 fine on the charge of Motor Vehicle Homicide, a Class 1 misdemeanor. Supanchick was also ordered to pay $33 in court costs, $57.55 in sheriff fees, $10 offender assessment and $630 in probation fees, along with $120 in drug-testing fees. The jail sentence, which may be purged by a recommendation from the Fillmore County Probation Office, is slated to begin May 6, 2022. The defendant’s CDL may be subject to cancellation. Probation conditions include: participate in outpatient counseling, write a letter of apology to victim’s family and perform 100 hours of community service.
During the early afternoon of September 24, 2018, a semi driven by Supanchick collided with a turning farm tractor in the eastbound lane of State Highway 74 about two miles east of Shickley. The tractor was turning south on County Road 8. Glancing off the tractor, the semi then bounced into the westbound lane of Highway 74 and struck a vehicle driven by Marjorie J. “Marj” Dowdy, 83, of Carleton. Dowdy, a 1953 graduate of Geneva High School, whose maiden name was Heath and had lived in the Carleton area for 50 years, was pronounced dead at the scene due to injuries sustained from the impact.
The driver of the farm tractor was life-flighted to Lincoln from the scene and was reported to have recovered from his injuries. The Fillmore County Sheriff’s Office and the Nebraska State Patrol investigated the incident. The Fillmore County Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case.