Jonesboro, AR — June 3, 2025, a teen was killed and Cedric Hill was injured in a truck accident at about 3:10 p.m. on East Highland Driver/State Highway 18.
Authorities said a 1999 International Harvester truck was turning right when it was hit from behind by a 2008 Ford Explorer Sport Trac.
A 17-year-old boy who was a passenger in the SUV was pronounced dead at a local hospital, according to authorities, while driver Cedric Hill, 51, was hospitalized with unspecified injuries.
No other injuries were reported.
Authorities have not released any additional information about the Craighead County crash at this time. The accident is still being investigated.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
When people hear about a crash where a pickup rear-ended a turning commercial vehicle, they might assume it’s an open-and-shut case. After all, rear-end collisions are often blamed on the trailing vehicle. But that assumption overlooks the central question here: Why did this crash happen in the first place? Until that’s answered, any conclusion about fault is premature.
Based on available details, we know the truck was turning right on East Highland Drive, and the Ford Explorer Sport Trac crashed into the back of it. What we don’t know is whether the truck had already slowed to a near stop, whether it was still in the process of turning or whether it had been partially in the road for some time. Each of those possibilities points to very different potential causes.
That’s why determining the exact sequence of events is so important in a crash like this. Was the truck driver signaling? Was the turn sudden or gradual? Did the SUV driver have a clear line of sight? All of that can be established through things like dash cam footage, traffic camera footage (if available) and engine control module (ECM) data, which can show when and how a truck slowed or accelerated.
There’s also the question of visibility. If the truck’s turn signal lights weren’t working or were obscured by dirt or sun glare, that would change how we think about the SUV driver’s ability to react. Or if the truck slowed or stopped unexpectedly in the roadway before turning, that also raises questions about the truck driver’s judgment and whether the maneuver was safe under the circumstances.
In my experience, I’ve seen similar cases where the commercial vehicle seemed to have done everything right, until we pulled phone records or black box data and discovered the driver was distracted or had slowed abruptly in the lane without warning. In other cases, we’ve uncovered poorly maintained trailers with malfunctioning brake lights or turn signals that made it almost impossible for other drivers to anticipate their movements.
None of that is speculation; those are real questions that only an in-depth investigation can answer. And until someone gathers and reviews that evidence, we’re left with more unknowns than answers.
Key Takeaways:
- It’s not yet clear how long the truck was in the roadway before the crash or whether it signaled the turn properly.
- Critical evidence like ECM data, dash cam footage and driver phone records will be key to understanding how this happened.
- Depending on the timing of the turn and the SUV’s visibility, responsibility could fall on either driver, or both.
- Rear-end crashes involving commercial vehicles aren’t always straightforward; thorough investigation is essential.
- Getting to the truth requires more than just looking at the damage; it takes a deep dive into the vehicle data and driver behavior.
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