Owensville, TX — December 26, 2025, Douglas Tuttle was injured due to a truck accident at about 1:45 p.m. along Bremond Street.
According to authorities, 87-year-old Douglas Tuttle was traveling in a southeast bound Toyota Tacoma pickup truck on Bremond Street (F.M. 46) just south of the Oak Tree Lane intersection when the accident took place.
Reports state that a southeast facing Kenworth 18-wheeler was parked in the traffic lane. Officials indicate that, for reasons yet to be confirmed, a collision occurred between the pickup truck and the 18-wheeler. A second tractor trailer was apparently involved in the wreck, as well.
Tuttle reportedly sustained serious injuries over the course of the accident. Additional details pertaining to this incident are not available at this point in time. The investigation is currently ongoing.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
When an 18-wheeler is parked in an active traffic lane and a crash follows, the focus of any serious investigation should be on why that truck was stopped there in the first place—and whether it should have been. Commercial drivers know, or should know, that parking a full-sized rig in the flow of traffic without proper warning or clearance is a major hazard. If someone is injured because a truck was blocking the lane, that decision—or the failure to prevent it—may be the starting point for legal responsibility.
In this case, we’re told that a Kenworth 18-wheeler was facing southeast and parked in the lane when the driver of a pickup truck collided with it. That raises critical questions about visibility, warning, and compliance with commercial parking rules:
- Was the truck legally allowed to stop there? On most rural farm-to-market roads, there are few (if any) lawful places to stop directly in the traffic lane—especially if there’s a shoulder or nearby turnout.
- Was the vehicle disabled or making a delivery? Even if the stop was necessary, drivers are required to activate hazard lights and place warning triangles or flares when stopping on the roadway.
- Could the pickup driver reasonably see the truck in time to react? That depends on the roadway layout, weather conditions, and whether the truck blended into the background or was partially obstructed.
- What role did the second tractor trailer play? If another truck was involved, the chain of events may include more than just a stopped vehicle and a driver failing to see it.
I’ve worked on cases where improperly parked trucks became invisible hazards—especially around curves, over crests, or in low-light situations. Even on straight roads, a parked trailer without reflectors or active lighting can be incredibly difficult to see in time to stop. And while it’s too soon to say what exactly happened here, parking in an active lane is not a neutral decision. It creates risk by default—and the law requires commercial drivers to minimize that risk.
Key Takeaways:
- A parked 18-wheeler in a travel lane is a major red flag—especially if proper warnings were not in place.
- Investigators will need to determine whether the truck was disabled, making a delivery, or simply parked without authorization.
- Visibility, warning equipment, and the role of the second truck must all be reviewed to understand how the crash occurred.
- Commercial drivers have a heightened duty to avoid creating roadway hazards, particularly when stopped.
- A full investigation will determine whether this crash was the result of improper parking, poor visibility, or other preventable decisions.
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