Summit, UT — June 19, 2025, one person was injured due to a tanker truck accident at approximately 5:00 a.m. along Interstate Highway 80.
According to authorities, the accident took place on I.H. 80 in the vicinity of U.S. Highway 189.
Officials indicate that, after having become disabled due to a previous accident, a Subaru Crosstrek was apparently blocking two of the interstate lanes. Preliminary reports state that, though an 18-wheeler hauling a tanker loaded with oil attempted to swerve and miss the Crosstrek, the Subaru was still struck by the 18-wheeler’s trailer. The tanker subsequently overturned, spilling oil into the roadway.
The person who had been behind the wheel of the Subaru sustained critical injuries, according to reports, and was taken to a local medical facility by EMS 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
When a tanker truck overturns and spills oil across the highway, it’s a major incident by any standard. But when that happens because a disabled vehicle was left blocking multiple lanes—at 5:00 in the morning, no less—it raises deeper questions about how long that hazard was there, how clearly it was visible, and whether more could have been done to avoid the collision.
A Disabled Vehicle Is a Hazard—But That Doesn’t Automatically Clear the Truck Driver
People sometimes assume that if a car is stopped in the road and gets hit, the blame lies entirely with the disabled vehicle. But that’s not always how the law sees it. Professional truck drivers are trained to expect hazards—especially on high-speed roads like I-80. The standard isn’t perfection, but reasonable awareness and response.
In this case, reports suggest the truck driver swerved to avoid the Crosstrek and still made contact with the trailer. That tells us a few things:
- The truck driver saw the Subaru late—maybe too late to avoid hitting it completely.
- Only the trailer made contact, suggesting the cab cleared most of the obstacle.
- The maneuver itself may have contributed to the tanker overturning.
These are key details, but they still leave important questions unanswered. How far in advance was the vehicle visible? Were its hazard lights on? Did the trucker have a clear line of sight? Could earlier braking or a different evasive action have prevented the rollover and oil spill?
These questions can be answered, but only with real evidence: dash cam footage, ECM data, and inspection of the scene itself.
Tanker Trucks Come With Added Risk—and Responsibility
Hauling a tanker full of oil is not the same as driving a standard trailer. The cargo is heavy, liquid, and highly mobile. That makes the truck more prone to tipping, especially during sudden swerves. That’s why companies are supposed to assign these loads only to well-trained drivers and ensure the truck’s configuration—baffles, fill levels, suspension—is suitable for the job.
I’ve seen cases where drivers weren’t trained to handle liquid loads, or where the tank was partially full, increasing the risk of slosh and instability. If either of those factors played a role here, the trucking company may need to answer for more than just a crash—it may have mishandled the load entirely.
Key Takeaways:
- The Subaru was reportedly disabled and blocking lanes, but whether the trucker had time to respond safely is still an open question.
- The fact that only the trailer made contact suggests a partial evasive maneuver—but one that still resulted in an oil spill and critical injuries.
- Tanker trucks are more prone to rollover during sharp maneuvers due to liquid load movement; training and truck configuration will be key areas of investigation.
- Dash cam footage and ECM data will be essential to determining visibility, reaction time, and driver response.
- Trucking company policies on driver training, load handling, and route safety may come under scrutiny if preventable errors contributed to the outcome.
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