Trempealeau County, WI — April 15, 2025, one person was injured following a lost-load truck accident some time in the afternoon along State Highway 93.
According to authorities, there were strong winds in the area at the time of the accident.
Officials indicate that the winds gusted and pushed a hail bail off of a trailer that was being towed by a truck along the highway. The bale reportedly hit an 18-wheeler that had also been traveling on the highway, causing it to jackknife.
The person who had been behind the wheel of the impacted truck suffered serious injuries due to the wreck, according to reports; they were flown to an area medical facility in order to receive immediate treatment. Additional details pertaining to this incident—including the identity of the victim—are not available at this point in time. The investigation is currently ongoing.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
In my experience, crashes caused by falling or shifting cargo are often treated like freak accidents—something no one could have predicted. But when a hay bale gets lifted off a trailer by the wind, strikes an 18-wheeler, and causes it to jackknife, it’s a clear signal that something went wrong in how that load was secured. Strong winds may have been the final trigger, but they didn’t cause this crash alone.
One of the most basic responsibilities for anyone hauling cargo, whether they’re operating a commercial vehicle or a private truck with a trailer, is to ensure that the load is properly secured. That responsibility doesn’t change just because the cargo is something as common as hay bales. In fact, loose or poorly secured agricultural loads are a known hazard, especially in rural areas or during high-wind conditions. If a gust of wind can lift something off a trailer, that’s a sign the tie-downs weren’t adequate for the weight and shape of the cargo—or that they weren’t used at all.
It’s also worth noting that this wasn’t a minor consequence. The falling bale didn’t just hit another vehicle—it struck a commercial truck with enough force to cause it to jackknife. That kind of reaction speaks to the energy involved, and to the seriousness of the resulting injuries. In situations like this, I’ve seen drivers who had little to no time to react before their vehicle became uncontrollable. And while the injured truck driver may not have done anything wrong, they’re left to deal with the physical and financial fallout of someone else’s failure to secure a load.
If the vehicle towing the hay belonged to a commercial farming operation or a contractor, the company behind it should also be part of the investigation. Were the driver and equipment properly vetted? Was the cargo tied down in accordance with industry standards? Was there any kind of route planning or weather monitoring that should have alerted them to the risk of hauling unsecured or loosely stacked materials in gusty conditions? These are the kinds of questions that separate an act of nature from a preventable incident.
From where I sit, this crash isn’t just about the wind. It’s about whether the people responsible for hauling that hay took the basic steps necessary to keep others on the road safe. That’s why it’s essential that the investigation looks past the weather report and into the human decisions that made this outcome possible. Only then can the right parties be held accountable and those affected by the wreck receive the clarity and closure they deserve.
call us 
Email Us 
Text us