East Peoria, IL — July 3, 2025, Dominque Stringer was killed in a truck accident at about 7:50 a.m. on westbound Interstate 74.
Authorities said a semi-truck was heading west when two of its rear tires broke off. The detached tires hit a concrete barrier before crashing into the windshield of an eastbound SUV. The damaged SUV hit a retaining wall at Exit 95A for Main Street.
SUV driver Dominque Stringer, 30, of Peoria died at the scene of the cash, according to authorities.
No other injuries were reported.
Authorities have not released any additional information about the Peoria County crash. The accident is still under investigation.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
When people hear that a pair of truck tires broke off and struck a passing SUV, their first question is likely: How does that even happen? Tires don’t just fly off a moving semi by accident, at least not without something going seriously wrong behind the scenes. The fact that the debris crossed the interstate median and struck a vehicle on the opposite side of the highway only underscores how urgent it is to find out exactly what led to this failure.
Unfortunately, based on what’s been reported so far, we still don’t know some of the most basic facts. There’s no word yet on whether the tires were improperly installed, whether there was a mechanical defect or whether the wheels and axles were even inspected before the truck hit the road. Without those answers, it’s impossible to say who bears responsibility, but that doesn’t mean we’re left in the dark.
In cases like this, an independent investigation should start with the truck’s maintenance records. Commercial trucks are required to undergo regular inspections, and the results of those checks (or the failure to perform them) could tell us whether this failure was foreseeable. Investigators will also want to look at the service logs to find out who last worked on the axle assembly and whether proper procedures were followed. If a repair shop reused worn parts, failed to torque lug nuts properly or ignored a known issue, that opens the door to third-party liability.
Beyond maintenance, it’s also worth asking how many miles the tires had on them and whether the trucking company kept them in service longer than they should have. In my experience, it’s not unusual to see companies push components well past their useful life in an effort to cut costs. The result is exactly what we see here: a completely preventable failure that causes a death on the highway.
Let’s also not lose sight of what happened after the tires detached. Once they broke free, they crossed a median barrier and crashed into the windshield of an eastbound SUV. That raises even more questions: How fast were the tires traveling? Was there any protective median, or was it just a low concrete barrier? And were any warning systems or dash cams operating in the truck that could help reconstruct the sequence of events?
It may take weeks or months for the authorities to finish their investigation, but one thing is already clear: this wasn’t a “freak accident.” It was the likely result of something breaking down in a system that’s supposed to keep dangerous equipment off the road. And that’s something that only a thorough investigation can fix.
Key Takeaways:
- Tires do not detach from 18-wheelers without some form of failure: mechanical, human or both.
- Investigators will need to review maintenance logs, service records, and possibly third-party repair work to understand what went wrong.
- Evidence such as ECM data, dash cams and tire age can help reconstruct how the incident occurred.
- The path of the runaway tires, across the median and into oncoming traffic, raises serious concerns about highway safety and truck maintenance.
- Accountability depends on identifying whether the truck driver, trucking company, maintenance provider or another party allowed a preventable hazard to develop.
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