A South Carolina man recently was charged with multiple crimes after a crash in another country where a woman and two little girls were killed, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Kelly Knopf, a 40-year-old from Sumter, was charged with three counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death as well as three counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing bodily harm, police said in a news release.
The three-vehicle collision happened at about 12:35 p.m., local time, on Oct. 2 in the Wadena/Foam Lake area, according to the release. That’s in Saskatchewan, Canada.
Knopf was driving a truck and was trying to pass a tractor trailer when the pickup collided with an SUV, police said.
The 40-year-old woman who was driving the SUV, along with 8- and 5-year-old girls who were passengers, died at the scene, according to the release. All three were from Foam Lake, police said.
A man who was another passenger in the SUV was seriously injured and taken to an area hospital, according to the release. Further information on the man’s condition was not available.
Knopf and one of two passengers in the truck suffered non-life-threatening injuries, police said. Another passenger in the truck suffered serious injuries, according to the release. Police said that all three were hospitalized, but further information on their conditions was not available.
The tractor trailer driver was not hurt and that vehicle was not damaged, according to the release.
There was no word if anyone involved in the crash was wearing a seatbelt.
Information about why the Sumter, South Carolina resident was more than 2,000 miles away in Canada was not available, but Knopf is scheduled to appear in Yorkton Provincial Court Monday, police said.
Despite the arrest, the wreck continues to be investigated by police.
In the past 20 years, Knopf has been charged with multiple traffic crimes in South Carolina, Sumter County court records show. He’s been convicted of multiple counts of speeding and seatbelt violations, as well as a single violation for operating or permitting operation of vehicle which is not registered and licensed, according to court records.
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This story was originally published October 5, 2026 at 8:10 AM.
Source: www.thestate.com
