Basic Facts

Crash date: May 15, 2026

Crash location: The westbound lanes of I-78 in the vicinity east of Mountain Road in Upper Bern Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania

People involved:

  • Donald Gene Hausenfluck, 61
  • Unidentified person, 25

Do authorities suspect alcohol played a role in this crash? unknown

Did authorities recommend criminal charges? unknown

Do authorities suspect a product defect caused the crash? unknown

Accident Report

May 15, 2026, Donald Hausenfluck was killed and another person was hurt in a truck accident shortly after 11:45 p.m. along I-78.

According to authorities, 61-year-old Donald Hausenfluck—from San Antonio, Texas—was traveling in a westbound 18-wheeler on I-78 in the vicinity west of Mountain Road when the accident took place. Officials indicate that, for as yet unknown reasons, the truck veered right, leaving the the active lanes of the freeway and entering the shoulder. There, it struck another 18-wheeler that had been parked on the side of the road. The 61-year-old’s truck then continued, overturning and crashing into an embankment before coming to a stop.

Hausenfluck reportedly sustained critical injuries over the course of the accident. A 25-year-old man who had been in the parked 18-wheeler suffered moderate injuries, as well, according to reports. They were each transported to an area medical facility by EMS in order to receive necessary treatment. However, Hausenfluck was ultimately unable to overcome the severity of his injuries, having later been declared deceased.

Additional details pertaining to this incident are not available at this point in time. The investigation is currently ongoing.

How Did This Accident Occur?

Most people, upon hearing about accidents where a truck strikes a vehicle parked on the shoulder, are quick to cast blame on the driver. I’ve been in this line of business for over thirty years, though. In that time, I’ve seen plenty of similar cases in which evidence of less likely causes ended up being unearthed by the investigation.

That’s not to insinuate that I know more about this specific accident than anyone else outside of the investigation, by the way. As far as I know, driver error—whether it was a result of distraction, fatigue, impairment, or something else entirely—has yet to be ruled out as a possible cause. I just want to point out that, hypothetically, something might have gone wrong with the 18-wheeler to cause the wreck. For example, what if it entered the shoulder because of a tire blowout? Or maybe there was something wrong with the steering column?

Hopefully the investigators get an in-depth vehicle inspection done in order to bring to light any underlying mechanical malfunctions or product defects that played a role rather than allowing them to fly under the radar. These types of inspections—done by trained professionals in laboratory settings—are not routinely done, though, so a special request might have to be made. If the authorities don’t get one done, then a third party investigation can always do so, instead. That way nothing important falls through the cracks.

In the end, the people affected by this accident—those left behind by the victim—deserve to be given a clear and detailed understanding of not only how the wreck occurred, but why. Vague assumptions based on surface-level investigation just won’t cut it, especially when those assumptions conveniently cast all the blame on the shoulders of the deceased.

What are your thoughts about this accident? Do you agree with my assessment and suggestions, or do you think I’m just brewing a storm in a teapot? Feel free to leave a comment below letting me know.

Table of Contents