1 Injured in 18-Wheeler Accident on Route 24 in Taunton, MA

Taunton, MA — April 10, 2025, One person was injured following a car accident that occurred at around 11:15 A.M. on Route 24.

An investigation is underway following a car accident that left one person injured during the morning hours of April 10th. According to official reports, an 18-wheeler hauling gravel was traveling on Route 24 and had just taken the off ramp to Route 140 when for unknown reasons the truck lost control rolled over on its side.

When first responders arrived on the scene, they found that the driver had sustained serious injuries and they were transported to the hospital for treatment. At this time there has been no further information from the accident released by officials, including the identity and status of the driver, however this remains an ongoing investigation and more details may be released by authorities in the future.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When a gravel truck rolls over while taking an off-ramp, the immediate concern isn’t just the injuries involved—it’s whether the crash was the result of a preventable failure in loading, speed management, or vehicle control. Trucks hauling loose material like gravel have to be handled with extra care, especially during turns and ramps, where even a slight miscalculation can lead to disaster.

According to what’s been reported, the truck was taking the off-ramp from Route 24 to Route 140 when it lost control and rolled over. That kind of crash almost always comes down to a handful of possibilities: the truck entered the ramp too fast for conditions, the load shifted, or the vehicle itself had mechanical issues that made it unstable. Each of those scenarios raises its own set of legal and operational questions that investigators will need to answer.

Speed is often a leading factor in rollover crashes on exit ramps. These curves are engineered with posted speed limits that assume ideal conditions and a properly balanced vehicle. If a driver is going even a little too fast—especially with a high center of gravity due to a loose gravel load—the truck can easily tip over. Investigators should be pulling the ECM data to check how fast the vehicle was traveling and how sharply it was turning in the seconds before the crash.

Then there’s the issue of how the gravel was loaded. Improper loading—either too high, too heavy on one side, or not leveled evenly—can cause instability, especially when combined with a turn. The responsibility for loading typically falls on either the company that owns the truck or the facility that loaded it. If protocols weren’t followed or if the load wasn’t inspected, that’s a failure that could easily lead to a rollover.

Mechanical issues can’t be ruled out either. Worn brakes, uneven suspension, or underinflated tires can all contribute to loss of control during a ramp descent. A full post-crash inspection should reveal whether the truck was in proper working order or if a known maintenance issue played a role.

Rollover crashes don’t happen for no reason. They happen because somewhere along the line, something wasn’t done correctly—whether that’s on the part of the driver, the company, or the equipment. The job of the investigation now is to find out what that was, because these kinds of wrecks are rarely isolated events. They’re often the result of preventable risks that, if left unchecked, will happen again.