Alachua County, TX — June 19, 2025, one person was killed due to a truck accident at approximately 8:30 a.m. along U.S. Highway 301.
According to authorities, a 25-year-old man was traveling in a northbound motor vehicle on U.S. 301 in the vicinity north of the S.H. 20 intersection when the accident took place.
Officials indicate that, for as yet unknown reasons, a collision took place between the motor vehicle and the trailer of an 18-wheeler that had been attempting a left turn onto the highway. The man reportedly sustained fatal injuries as a result of the wreck. No other injuries have been reported. 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 vehicle hits the trailer of a turning 18-wheeler and the driver doesn’t survive, it usually points to one of two things: either the truck turned when it wasn’t safe to do so, or the approaching vehicle didn’t have enough time or visibility to react. Either way, that means something in the turning movement went wrong—and the burden is now on investigators to figure out what.
Left Turns Across Oncoming Traffic: High-Risk by Nature
Left turns onto highways are one of the riskiest maneuvers a commercial driver can make. That’s because the trailer takes time to clear the lane, and oncoming traffic often approaches faster than expected. Add in the size and length of an 18-wheeler, and even a small misjudgment can leave the trailer stretched across a travel lane with nowhere for other drivers to go.
In this case, we know the truck was trying to turn left onto U.S. 301, crossing the northbound lanes in the process. If the victim struck the trailer during that turn, the key questions become:
- Was the turn legal and properly signaled?
- Did the truck driver accurately judge the speed and distance of oncoming traffic?
- Were there any visual obstructions—sun glare, curves, vegetation, or signage—that affected visibility?
These are not rhetorical questions. They’re the foundation of a legal investigation. A dash cam, for example, could show whether the truck moved into traffic too early. The truck’s ECM can show when and how fast it accelerated. Roadway markings and intersection layout will reveal whether the turn could be made safely at all under those conditions.
Did the Driver Have Time to Avoid It?
Another possibility is that the northbound vehicle had too little time—or no time—to react. That could be because the truck entered the lane too late, or because the trailer wasn’t easily visible. In underride collisions like this, the question often comes down to how much time the approaching driver had to identify the trailer in the roadway and respond.
I’ve handled cases where trailers were poorly marked or had no side lighting, especially in low-light or shadowed conditions. Even during the day, a dull or dirty trailer surface can blend into the background. And if the driver turned too slowly or blocked the entire lane without fully committing, that’s not just unsafe—it’s negligent.
Key Takeaways:
- Left turns by 18-wheelers across active lanes require precise timing; misjudging traffic speed can lead to fatal outcomes.
- The collision suggests the trailer was in the path of oncoming traffic at the time of impact, raising questions about the truck driver’s decision-making.
- Evidence such as dash cam footage, ECM data, and road design will be essential to reconstructing the turn.
- Trailer visibility—through lighting, reflectors, or contrast—may play a role in whether the victim had a fair chance to avoid the collision.
- A full investigation must examine both the turn execution and the conditions that shaped visibility and driver response.
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