The murder trial for a truck driver trainee accused of stabbing his trainer began in Texas on Tuesday.
The trial began in Belton, Texas on May 15th for an incident that occurred in Salado, Texas back in August of 2015.
According to Killeen Daily Herald, 49-year-old Werner trainee, Stanley Polk Jr., and 62-year-old Werner trainer, Ronald Ruiz, were in a semi truck on their way to Indianapolis, Indiana when Ruiz called the trucking company, explaining that there was “something off about this guy,” and that Ruiz “really wanted him off the truck.”
Despite Ruiz’s complaints, Werner advised he “hang tight” until the pair made it to their destination.
Later, when the two stopped at a rest stop off of Interstate 35 in Salado around 7:30 p.m., the two allegedly became engaged in an argument, prompting Polk to attack Ruiz with a knife as he was inside the truck, stabbing him 17 times in the chest, stomach, and leg.
Ruiz then exited the truck screaming for help, according to witnesses, and Polk followed suit, jumping out of the truck before entering the rest stop bathroom to “wash off the blood on his hands” as well as his “bloody knife.” Polk then fled the scene and led police on a nine-hour hunt, ending with Polk’s arrest at around 4:30 a.m. He was then taken into custody and held on one million dollar bond.
Unfortunately, despite the combined efforts of nearby truckers and other witnesses to save him, Ruiz did not survive the incident and died of his injuries.
According to Polk’s attorney, Michael Magana, the confrontation began when Ruiz physically attacked Polk and used a racial slur during an argument, however there are no witness testimonies or camera footage to confirm that a noticeable argument occurred, reported the Temple Daily Telegram.
A verdict on the incident is yet to be reached, but the prosecution is not pursuing the death penalty. Polk is currently facing a first degree felony charge for the murder of Ruiz.
