Deferred judgement handed down year after fatal crash

A semi driver involved in an accident which killed a former Clear Lake resident on the Avenue of the Saints has received a deferred judgment.

Austin James Lesher, 50, of Layton, Utah, was cited for failure to maintain control after a crash east of Mason City in early 2015 that killed Amy Hild, of Rockford.  Hild, the daughter of Steven and Debra Hild, was a 2005 graduate of Clear Lake High School.

According to a report by the Iowa State Patrol, on Feb. 25, 2015, as traffic was merging due to a lane blocked by an earlier crash, there was a collision involving two semis, two vans, a pickup and a car.

Hild was killed and Lesher was hospitalized.

Lesher has been given a deferred judgement and ordered to spend 365 days on probation, do 10 hours of community service and pay a $300 civil penalty.  If Lesher complies with the terms of his sentence, this offense will be wiped from his record.