Burnsville, MN — April 17, 2025, one person was injured in a truck accident at about 4:50 a.m. on southbound Interstate 35.
Authorities said a Ford Fusion rear-ended a semi-truck near Crystal Lake Road.
The Ford driver was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries after the crash, according to authorities.
No other injuries were reported.
Authorities have not released any additional information about the Dakota County crash. The accident is still under investigation.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
When a passenger vehicle rear-ends a semi-truck on the interstate, especially in the early morning hours, the first legal question isn’t necessarily who hit whom. It’s why the truck was where it was, and whether the driver of the car had a fair chance to avoid the collision. Crashes like this one on I-35 near Crystal Lake Road often come down to visibility, spacing and whether the commercial driver created an unexpected hazard on the road.
At 4:50 a.m., visibility is a real concern. Light is limited, and drivers may still be adjusting to roadway conditions after a full night or early start. That means trucks — especially those that are slowing down, stopped or moving unusually slowly — must be as visible as possible. Working tail lights, reflective tape and side and rear marker lights all matter in a situation like this. If any of those elements were missing or obscured, it could have made it difficult for the Ford driver to recognize the truck’s position until it was too late.
That said, the Ford Fusion rear-ended the semi-truck, and legally, the driver of a trailing vehicle is generally expected to maintain a safe following distance.
This is where the semi-truck’s engine control module becomes critical. It can confirm whether the truck was stopped, slowing or traveling at highway speed at the time of the crash. Investigators should also look at possible dashcam footage, physical damage patterns and roadway markings to reconstruct how and when the crash occurred.
Even in cases where the smaller vehicle hits the rear of the truck, the burden is still on investigators to confirm that the truck was being operated safely and legally. If the truck was stopped in a travel lane without proper warning or hazard lighting, that changes the legal picture entirely. Commercial drivers are held to a higher standard for a reason. They operate large, heavy vehicles that are less forgiving when things go wrong.
This crash serves as a reminder that rear-end collisions involving trucks aren’t always as clear-cut as they appear. Determining whether the truck created a hazard, or whether the trailing driver failed to respond appropriately, is what separates an assumption from a legal conclusion. The investigation’s job is to answer that question clearly, and thoroughly, before anyone decides who should be held accountable.
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