DeKalb County, MO — December 27, 2028, one person was killed and two others were injured in a truck accident at about 9 p.m. on U.S. Route 36 west of Osborn.
Authorities said a Chevrolet Tahoe was heading north on State Route 33 when it collided with a Volvo semi-truck going east on U.S. 36. The truck overturned, as both vehicles ended up in the median.
The Chevrolet driver, a 34-year-old Savannah man whose name has not been made public yet, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, according to authorities. A 13-year-old boy riding with him was seriously injured, while a 12-year-old girl was hospitalized with moderate injuries.
The truck driver was not injured, authorities said.
Authorities have not released any additional information about the DeKalb County crash at this time.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
When people hear about a crash like this one, where a pickup collided with an 18-wheeler in DeKalb County, killing one and injuring two children, they naturally want answers. Was the truck where it was supposed to be? Did either driver make a mistake? Could this have been prevented?
Unfortunately, the available reports don’t give us enough information to answer those questions. All we know is that a Chevrolet Tahoe was traveling north on State Route 33 and collided with a Volvo truck going east on U.S. Route 36, after which both vehicles ended up in the median. Depending on how the paths crossed, this could point to a wide range of possible causes, each with very different legal implications.
For instance, was the truck attempting a turn onto Route 33? Did it run a red light? Or was the SUV entering the intersection when it wasn’t safe to do so? The reports don’t say. That lack of clarity makes it difficult to draw any conclusions about fault, but it does raise some important unanswered questions.
To get answers, the first step is gathering hard evidence. That includes black box data from the truck, dash cam footage if available and physical evidence from the scene. Investigators will need to look at cell phone records to determine if distraction was a factor. If the truck had in-cab cameras, something that’s becoming more common, that footage could be critical to piecing together the truck driver’s actions leading up to the crash.
Beyond what happened in the moment, we also have to consider how this driver ended up behind the wheel. That means looking into the trucking company’s hiring and training policies. Was the driver screened thoroughly before being put on the road? Was the company aware of any past safety issues? I’ve seen cases where trucking companies rushed drivers through minimal vetting and training, and then acted surprised when disaster struck. Those aren’t just one-off failures; they’re patterns that point to deeper accountability.
So while we don’t yet know what went wrong here, we do know what kind of investigation it will take to find out. That investigation can’t stop at the edge of the crash scene. It has to follow the trail of decisions — by drivers, dispatchers and employers — that may have contributed to this outcome.
Key Takeaways:
- It’s not yet clear how the two vehicles came to collide. Critical details like who had the right of way remain unreported.
- Black box data, dash cams and phone records will be essential to reconstructing what happened.
- Investigators should also examine the trucking company’s hiring, training and oversight practices.
- Without a thorough investigation, it’s impossible to determine whether the truck driver, the SUV driver or others share responsibility.
- Getting to the truth requires more than a crash report. It takes evidence, scrutiny and a commitment to follow the facts wherever they lead.
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