Sumter man charged after collision kills 8-year-old, 5-year-old girls in Canada

A Sumter man was charged with multiple counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle resulting in death after a crash killed a woman and two girls. 

On Friday, Oct. 2, about 12:35 p.m., Royal Canadian Mounted Police and other first responders arrived on scene to a collision on a grid road near Foam Lake in Canada. 

The investigation determined a truck was attempting to pass a semi on the roadway and collided with an SUV. 

Three occupants in the SUV were pronounced dead at the scene. They were identified as a 40-year-old woman, an 8-year-old girl and a 5-year-old girl, according to RCMP. 

The third passenger, an adult male, was taken to the hospital with serious injuries. No word on his condition has been released.

 Kelly Knopf, 40, of Sumter, the driver of the truck, was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Two passengers in the truck were also taken to the hospital – one with non-life-threatening injuries and one with injuries that were described as “serious,” RCMP said. 

The semi was not damaged, and no injuries were reported by the driver.

Knopf was arrested and charged with three counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle resulting in death and three counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing bodily harm, according to RCMP. 

Knopf is scheduled to appear in court on Monday, Oct. 5.

An investigation is ongoing by Wadena/Foam Lake RCMP and Saskatchewan RCMP.