Greene County, OH — November 6, 2025, Maria Valles was killed and Sydney Dunn, Valeria Rodriguez and one other person were injured in a truck accident at about 4:50 p.m. on State Route 72.
Authorities said a northbound 2017 Honda Civic and a southbound 2023 Freightliner semi-truck collided near mile marker 12. The Honda also hit a southbound 2023 Mazda CX-9.
A passenger in the Honda, 48-year-old Maria Valles, died at the scene of the Cedarville Township crash, according to authorities.
Honda driver Valeria Rodriguez, 22, and another passenger suffered non-life-threatening injuries, authorities said.
Mazda driver Sydney Dunn, 31, was hospitalized with unspecified injuries, according to the report.
No other injuries were reported.
Authorities have not released any additional information about the Greene County crash at this time.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
Based on the information available so far, it’s not yet clear how a northbound passenger car and a southbound 18-wheeler ended up colliding on State Route 72 in Greene County. What we do know is that a woman lost her life, others were injured and the crash involved multiple vehicles traveling in opposite directions. But the key legal question remains: What caused the semi-truck and the Honda Civic to end up in each other’s path?
That may sound like a simple question, but getting to the truth often requires digging through evidence most people never see: black box data, dash cams, driver logs and cell phone records. Depending on whether the truck veered into the Honda’s lane or the Honda crossed the center line, entirely different sets of legal responsibilities come into play.
At this point, the public has no way of knowing who, if anyone, crossed the center line. That leaves open some critical unanswered questions:
- Was the truck driver distracted, fatigued or impaired?
- Did mechanical failure or road conditions contribute?
- Was there a medical emergency?
- Or did the Honda driver lose control and drift into the truck’s lane?
To answer any of these, a thorough investigation needs to start with the Freightliner’s onboard systems. Most modern 18-wheelers are equipped with engine control modules (ECMs) that record speed, braking, steering inputs and sudden lane departures. If the truck was fitted with in-cab cameras or had lane-departure warning systems, that data could offer a detailed look at what the driver was doing moments before the crash.
Phone records could show whether the truck driver was using a mobile device at the time. That’s not speculation. It’s a routine step in serious crash investigations. I’ve handled cases where a quick look at call logs or texting history dramatically shifted the entire narrative about what happened and who was really responsible.
We also can’t overlook the truck company’s role. What was their hiring and training process like? Was this driver vetted properly? In one case I handled, a company put a driver on the road who had been fired multiple times and barely tested for road readiness. They paid the price because they didn’t take driver competence seriously, and someone got killed because of it.
There’s no room for guesswork here. With one person dead and several injured, the only path to real accountability is through a methodical, evidence-driven investigation.
Key Takeaways:
- It’s not yet clear which vehicle crossed the center line, making fault uncertain at this stage.
- Critical evidence like dash cams, ECM data and cell phone records will be key to understanding the cause.
- The trucking company’s hiring and training practices may come under scrutiny depending on what the investigation reveals.
- Public reports don’t tell the full story; only a detailed review of physical and digital evidence can.
- Legal responsibility may extend beyond the driver to the company that put him on the road.
