Jefferson County, MO — August 22, 2025, two people were injured in a truck accident at about 6:30 p.m. on northbound Interstate 55 near Barnhart.
Authorities said a 2023 Freightliner Cascadia semi-truck sideswiped a 2025 Kia Sportage, forcing the smaller vehicle into a 2021 Ford Ecosport. Both vehicles slid into the median barrier north of State Route M after the collision.
The Kia driver, a 29-year-old woman from Lake St. Louis, was seriously injured in the crash, according to authorities.
The 25-year-old woman driving the Ford, another Lake St. Louis resident, suffered moderate injuries, authorities said.
No other injuries were reported.
Authorities have not released any additional information about the Jefferson County crash at this time.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
When people see a crash involving a semi-truck sideswiping a smaller vehicle, they usually want to know one thing: How could something like this happen on a straight stretch of interstate? The answer often comes down to whether the truck driver lost focus, made an error in judgment or was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. But at this point, we don’t have enough information to say.
From the available details, a Freightliner reportedly sideswiped a Kia Sportage, which then hit a Ford Ecosport before both smaller vehicles slid into the median barrier. Two drivers were hurt, but we don’t yet know the condition of the truck driver or whether he even stopped at the scene. That leaves several unanswered questions that need to be addressed before any conclusions are drawn.
For example, was the truck changing lanes? Did the Kia enter the truck’s lane? Did either vehicle drift or swerve to avoid something? Depending on whether the truck was moving, merging or overtaking another vehicle, very different issues arise. Without knowing who moved into whose lane, or why, we’re left with speculation.
To get real answers, any thorough investigation would start by examining black box data from the semi. That would show how fast the truck was going, when the brakes were applied and whether the truck stayed in its lane. Dash cam footage, if available, could confirm the sequence of events and show where each vehicle was positioned in the moments before the crash.
Another important piece of the puzzle is the driver himself. Was he fatigued? Distracted? On the phone? That’s not something police can guess at the scene. It requires subpoenaing cell phone records, reviewing in-cab camera footage if available and learning more about the driver’s background. Does he have a history of traffic violations or previous crashes? Was he properly trained and screened before being put behind the wheel?
I’ve handled cases where the truck driver wasn’t necessarily the biggest problem; the company that hired him was. In one instance, a trucking company put a driver on the road who had already been fired from several other jobs. Their so-called “driver evaluation” was little more than a short drive around the block. When all the evidence came out, it was clear the company had set him, and everyone else on the road, up for failure.
That’s why a crash like this can’t be resolved just by pointing fingers at the truck driver or assuming fault based on vehicle size. The truth only comes out when someone takes the time to collect the evidence, examine it critically and follow it wherever it leads.
Key Takeaways:
- It’s not clear whether the semi-truck or the Kia changed lanes, and that makes a big difference in assigning fault.
- Investigators need black box and dash cam data to reconstruct what happened.
- Cell phone records and in-cab footage can help determine if the truck driver was distracted or fatigued.
- The trucking company’s hiring and training practices may also be relevant, depending on the driver’s history.
- Getting to the bottom of a crash like this requires more than a police report. It takes a full-scale independent investigation.
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