Rutherford County, TN — October 1, 2025, Hector Banuelos was killed in a truck accident at about 2 a.m. on eastbound Interstate 24.
Authorities said a Chevrolet Silverado crashed into a disabled semi-truck that was blocking two lanes of the interstate after an earlier accident near mile marker 63. The pickup also collided with another semi-truck before coming to rest near the shoulder.
Chevrolet driver Hector Rodriguez Banuelos, 56, died in the crash near the Old Hickory Boulevard exit in La Vergne, according to authorities.
The truck driver was not injured, authorities said.
Authorities have not released any additional information about the Rutherford County crash at this time.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
When people hear that a pickup truck crashed into a disabled 18-wheeler on the interstate, most assume they already know what happened. But from a legal standpoint, a report like this one raises more questions than it answers. Chief among them: Why was the semi-truck blocking two lanes of traffic in the middle of the night? That’s not a minor detail. It could be the difference between a tragic accident and a preventable death.
Based on what’s been reported, the crash happened around 2 a.m. on I-24 when a pickup struck a disabled semi that was already blocking two lanes of traffic. The pickup then hit a second semi before stopping near the shoulder. Authorities confirmed that the pickup’s driver died, but haven’t shared anything else about how or why the first semi was sitting in the road.
That silence leaves several unanswered questions:
- Was the disabled truck stopped due to a mechanical issue or because of a previous crash?
- How long had it been sitting in the road?
- Were its hazard lights or emergency reflectors in place and functioning?
- Was the truck still operable, or was the driver unable, or unwilling, to move it off the lanes?
Depending on the answers to those questions, this crash could involve very different levels of responsibility. If the truck was legally disabled and properly marked, the legal picture may tilt one way. If it was simply left in the road without warning or effort to move it, that’s something else entirely.
I’ve handled cases where trucks were left in active lanes without any attempt to warn oncoming traffic. In one instance, the driver didn’t even put out reflective triangles as required by federal regulations. In another, the company had a policy of cutting maintenance costs that practically guaranteed their trucks would break down on the road. In both cases, the companies tried to hide behind the idea that the crash was the other driver’s fault. But when we dug into the facts — black box data, maintenance records, driver logs — it became clear who was really responsible.
The truth in a case like this doesn’t come from a police press release. It comes from asking tough questions and demanding access to the evidence that answers them: engine control module data, dash cam footage (if it exists) and driver communication logs. Without that, we’re just guessing, and the law shouldn’t rely on guesswork when someone has lost their life.
Key Takeaways:
- It’s unclear why the semi-truck was blocking two lanes of traffic at 2 a.m.
- Whether the truck was properly marked and whether the driver followed breakdown protocols are open questions.
- Evidence like black box data, hazard equipment records and dash cam footage will be crucial to understanding what really happened.
- Legal responsibility could shift dramatically depending on why the truck was stopped and how long it had been there.
- A full investigation, not assumptions, is the only way to determine who should be held accountable.
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