2 Children Killed in Truck Accident on Saddlehorn Road near Hastings, NE

Adams County, NE — September 15, 2025, two children were killed in a truck accident at about 4:45 p.m. on Saddlehorn Road.

Authorities said an eastbound pickup collided with a northbound farm silage truck at the intersection of Saddlehorn and Riverview Avenue.

The boys in the pickup, ages 10 and 7, died in the crash southeast of Hastings, according to authorities.

Pickup driver Blake Whitcomb, 33, and farm truck driver Dale Feik, 66, were hospitalized with unspecified injuries after the crash, authorities said.

Authorities have not released any additional information about the Adams County crash at this time.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When people hear about a crash that killed two children, especially one involving a large farm truck, the first reaction is often emotional, and understandably so. But when we strip the emotion away, what most families really want to know is: How did this happen? And what can be done to make sure we get the full truth?

From what little information is available, this crash involved a northbound silage truck and an eastbound pickup crossing paths at an intersection. That basic fact opens the door to more questions than answers. Was this a case of someone running a stop sign? Was visibility an issue at the intersection? Did either vehicle fail to yield the right of way? At this point, we just don’t know.

One thing we can say is that rural crashes involving farm trucks are not uncommon, and investigating them requires a specific set of tools. For instance, many farm trucks, especially older models, don’t have the same electronic monitoring equipment that commercial 18-wheelers use. That makes it harder, but not impossible, to reconstruct what happened. Investigators will need to look at things like:

• Skid marks and debris patterns to understand how fast each vehicle was moving.
• Surrounding structures or vegetation to determine whether either driver’s view was obstructed.
• Traffic control devices (like stop signs or warning signs) and whether they were present and visible.
• Driver statements, which can be useful, but only when backed up by hard evidence.

It’s also important to keep in mind that depending on who owned and operated the silage truck, different legal questions come into play. If the driver was working for a farm or agricultural business at the time, then we’d need to evaluate that employer’s safety practices, training procedures and whether the truck was properly maintained. On the other hand, if this was a personally operated farm vehicle, some of those questions get more complicated, but they don’t go away.

I’ve handled cases before where what seemed like a straightforward intersection crash turned out to be far more complex once we got access to maintenance records, cell phone logs and witness interviews. Until those pieces of the puzzle are in place, it’s just too early to say who’s responsible.

Key Takeaways:

• It’s not yet clear which driver had the right of way or whether traffic signs were obeyed.
• Evidence like vehicle damage, skid marks and witness statements will be key to reconstructing the crash.
• The ownership and use of the farm truck could affect how liability is determined.
• Older farm trucks often lack black box data, so physical evidence becomes even more important.
• Independent investigation will be essential to understanding what truly happened at this intersection.