Update (June 23, 2025): Authorities have identified the SUV driver injured in this accident as Richard Rintoul, 71.
Wright County, MN — June 18, 2025, Susan Rintoul was killed and three other people were injured in a truck accident at about 7:20 p.m. on Interstate 94.
Authorities said four vehicles, including a Freightliner semi-truck, were involved in a rear-end collision that shut down the eastbound lanes near Monticello for several hours. The other vehicles were a Chevrolet Traverse, a Ford F-350 and a Ford Focus, but it is not clear how they collided.
North Dakota resident Susan Rintoul, 69, who was a passenger in the Chevrolet, died at the scene of the crash, according to authorities. Her 71-year-old husband, who was driving, was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, along with the two Ford drivers: a 41-year-old Louisiana man and a 24-year-old Wisconsin man.
The truck driver was not injured in the crash, authorities said.
Authorities have not released any additional information about the Wright County at this time.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
When people hear about a four-vehicle crash involving a semi-truck, the first question that often comes up is: how could something like this happen? Especially when one person lost their life and others were hurt, folks want to know who or what caused it, and whether the authorities are doing enough to get answers.
Here, we know the crash happened on I-94 and that a Freightliner 18-wheeler was one of the vehicles involved. But beyond that, almost everything remains unclear. We’re told the crash involved a rear-end collision, but there’s no explanation of which vehicle struck first, or how the chain reaction unfolded. That matters a great deal because determining responsibility hinges on sequencing: who hit whom and in what order.
In multi-vehicle crashes like this, especially ones involving commercial trucks, investigators have to look far beyond eyewitness statements or the initial crash scene. Key pieces of evidence include the truck’s black box data, dash cam footage (if installed) and the driver’s cell phone records. Was the trucker distracted? Speeding? Following too closely? These are not questions we can answer without hard data.
It’s also worth asking whether the trucking company itself may bear some responsibility. Was the driver properly vetted and trained? Was the vehicle maintained adequately? I’ve handled cases where trucking companies rushed drivers onto the road with barely a background check or gave them a 20-minute “road test” that didn’t simulate real-world driving conditions. When that happens, it’s not just a driver’s error; it’s a failure that starts in the hiring office.
Until we know more, all we can say is this: There’s a major difference between an accident where a truck driver is surprised by another motorist’s actions, and one where the truck driver’s own conduct — whether careless, distracted or poorly trained — sets off a fatal chain of events. Right now, we don’t have enough information to tell which scenario we’re dealing with.
Key Takeaways:
- The sequence of impacts among the four vehicles is unclear and needs to be established.
- Truck ECM data, dash cams and phone records will be critical in determining the trucker’s actions leading up to the crash.
- Questions remain about the truck driver’s training and whether the trucking company did its due diligence.
- Multi-vehicle crashes often involve shared responsibility, not just among drivers, but also among the companies that put them on the road.
- Until a full investigation is complete, it’s premature to assign blame based solely on early reports.
