Knudson’s Open Letter Plea to Truck Drivers

This is an open letter by Mick Knudson to the other drivers involved in his case, Mr. Gallant, Mr. Eaton, and Mr. Simms.

Mick “KoolPak” Knudson

Mr. Joseph L. Gallant, Mr. Michael A. Eaton, and Mr. Michael G. Simms;

I was falsely prosecuted for a traffic incident in Wyoming, which you three were involved in.
This letter is a plea to ask you to set the record straight. I am begging you to come forward with the truth. For the last two and a half years my family and I have been living a life of hell. I lost my job, my sense of worth and slowly I have lost faith in people. I am no longer the cheerful positive guy, always ready to give a hand to help out. I am no longer interested in doing things with others and my family has slowly been losing me. I am not able to be there for them like I have been before this all happened.

Joseph L. Gallant

Mr. Gallant I am asking you to come forward, for you are the only one who can attest to the truth of my statements and those contained in the police report – to what truly happened on that day, March 22, 2010, in Wyoming on the Highway 287. Your statements can prove my innocence to the false charges that were filed against me and prove my actions were not “willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property”. You are the only one whom can collaborate not only my statement, but those made by Mr. Eaton and Mr. Simms in the police report to Officer Colling. Your testimony is needed to let the truth be set free and justice to be served.

Michael A. Eaton

Mr. Michael Eaton, I am asking you to please come forward and recant the portion of testimony where you changed your story. You and I both know that everything that I did that day was to AVOID an accident. In this situation, instead of following the law and slowing down to allow me to pass before you merged, you just went on over. I had to do my duty as a professional driver and do all that I could do to avoid an accident, and that is what I did, I did NOT try to cause one. You testified that we were side-by-side and with your lane ending you came over even though I was there. So I had to move into the oncoming lane and I passed you and the Interstate (Mr. Gallant) at the same time, along with the corvette moving to the side of the road, and then you proceeded to change your story to me passing you, to going another 3-4 miles and then passing the interstate truck? Why would you do this? Why would you want to ruin my life and the life of my family? For this is what you have done. I don’t enjoy the things a father should; the laughter of my children, watching them play their games, sing their songs, their plays. As for my wife and I, our communication consists of talking of Wyoming: how unfair this is and what we can do. My family is suffering needlessly, for reasons that should never have happened. They have lost the father and husband they once had and they have also lost the support that I have given them from my working. Since I lost my job and I have been unable to get another one because of this being on my record, I have lost over $100,000 in wages. My family has been left with a bitter, angry man who has no faith in anyone or anything any longer.

Michael G. Simms

As for Mr. Michael Simms, I do not know what to say to you. From the moment you spoke of what happened in Colorado, which I had no knowledge of doing any damage, the transformation of being calm and collected to being full of anger is very transparent. If you were to listen to the trial, you can hear the change from one moment to the next, the anger that comes into your voice. I don’t know if that was your reason for changing your story or what, but I am asking you, for the sake of my children, to reconsider your testimony. If it was me alone, I would not be begging anyone, but because I have small children, their lives are being destroyed because of this, and this is the reason I am asking, not for my sake but for theirs.
Again, I am asking that you think about the ramifications that your actions or non-actions are having, not only on my life but on the lives of my children; children who don’t understand why their daddy doesn’t have the interest in playing with them like he used to, why he doesn’t want to go the park anymore, why he is always angry; also the life of my wife, who tries to keep our lives together every day, who keeps us going, even when I can’t be there for her, when I can’t focus, because all I see is what has happened in Wyoming. Please look inside your hearts and do what is right, make this situation right!
Please call me at 509-301-1435 and help me get my life back.
Thank you and God Bless,