Update (February 14, 2025): Authorities have identified the driver killed in this accident as Randall Whitney, 84.
Green County, WI — January 20, 2025, one person was killed in a truck accident at about 9:40 a.m. on Richland Road east of Monroe.
Authorities said a pickup was driving north on Richland Road when it collided with a semi-truck that was broken down on the road with its flashing lights activated.
The pickup driver, an 84-year-old man who name has not been made public at this time, died after being taken to a nearby hospital, according to authorities.
The truck driver, a 66-year-old man from Iowa, was not injured, authorities said.
It is not clear why the semi-truck was stopped beyond authorities’ indication that it had a mechanical problem.
The accident is still being investigated.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
When a vehicle collides with a broken-down semi-truck on the road, it raises significant questions about how such a scenario unfolded. While the semi-truck reportedly had its flashing lights activated, there is much to investigate regarding whether proper precautions were taken to warn approaching drivers and whether the truck needed to be stopped where it was.
The first area of focus should be the semi-truck itself. Authorities indicated the truck had a mechanical issue, but details about the nature of the problem are essential. Was the breakdown due to a sudden, unavoidable failure or was it the result of poor maintenance? Trucking companies are required to keep their vehicles in safe, working order, and failures that lead to dangerous situations can sometimes point to lapses in those duties. Maintenance logs and inspection records for the truck should be reviewed carefully.
Equally important is whether the truck driver took all necessary steps to secure the area. Flashing lights are a good start, but federal regulations require additional measures when a commercial vehicle becomes disabled on the roadway. This includes deploying reflective warning triangles or flares at specified distances behind the truck to alert approaching drivers. Investigators should determine whether these precautions were in place and whether they provided sufficient warning to the pickup driver.
Another critical factor is the roadway itself. Was Richland Road designed to safely accommodate disabled vehicles and passing traffic? Many rural roads lack wide shoulders or emergency pull-off areas, which can force stopped vehicles to remain in the lane of travel, creating hazards for others. The conditions of the road at the time of the crash, including weather and visibility, must also be considered, as snow, fog or glare could have limited the pickup driver’s ability to see the semi-truck in time to react.
This accident highlights the importance of thorough investigations into breakdown-related crashes. A proper inquiry can uncover whether all safety measures were followed, providing needed answers for the victim’s family.
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