2 Injured in Truck Accident on I-64 near Nitro, WV

Kanawha County, WV — April 19, 2025, two people were injured in a truck accident at about 5:50 a.m. on westbound Interstate 64.

Authorities said two semi-trucks were involved in a crash near mile marker 45.5. One truck overturned, while a tanker truck caught fire, forcing emergency personnel to shut down traffic in both directions.

Two people were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries after the crash near Nitro, according to authorities. Their names have not been made public at this time.

Authorities have not released any additional information about the Kanawha County crash at this point. The accident is still under investigation.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When a crash between two semi-trucks shuts down both sides of a major interstate and results in a tanker fire, the legal analysis begins with a simple but serious question: Which driver lost control, and why? Crashes involving only commercial vehicles, especially in low-traffic early morning hours, often point to some form of driver error, whether due to speed, fatigue, distraction or poor decision-making under pressure.

According to the available information, one of the trucks overturned, and the other caught fire. That’s a serious outcome even in the absence of life-threatening injuries. From a liability standpoint, investigators will need to determine how the initial collision occurred. Did one driver make an improper lane change? Was one vehicle stopped or moving slowly without warning? Did either driver misjudge distance or attempt a risky maneuver that led to the chain reaction?

The fact that a fire occurred also adds another layer of concern. Tanker trucks typically carry hazardous or flammable materials, which require additional safety precautions. If the truck was transporting a regulated substance, investigators will need to confirm whether it was properly marked, whether the tank met design standards and whether the driver was trained and certified for that type of cargo. Fires following a crash don’t just happen. They often point to containment failure or improper handling of hazardous materials.

Both trucks’ engine control modules should be analyzed to determine speed, braking and throttle input in the moments before impact. Dashcam footage and eyewitness accounts, if available, can help confirm who initiated the incident and how quickly it escalated. And given the early morning timing, it’s also worth investigating whether either driver was fatigued, particularly if they were nearing the end of a long haul.

While both drivers reportedly survived with non-life-threatening injuries, the scale of the incident — overturned trailers, fire and a full highway shutdown — underscores the public safety risk that comes with commercial vehicle collisions. When two trucks crash with this kind of intensity, the issue isn’t just which one made a mistake. It’s whether that mistake reflects a broader failure in training, scheduling or oversight by the companies that put those trucks on the road.

In crashes like this, accountability starts with understanding not just how the vehicles collided, but whether the risk of such a crash was created long before either truck reached mile marker 45.5. That’s what investigators, and ultimately the public, need to know to ensure that safety isn’t left to chance the next time two commercial trucks share the road.