Leroy, WI — June 26, 2025, a teen was killed in a truck accident at about 6:30 a.m. on State Highway 49 at Dairy Road.
Authorities said a northbound semi-truck hauling a tanker collided with an eastbound BMW sedan at the intersection as dense fog limited visibility.
The 19-year-old Waupun man who was driving the BMW was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, according to authorities. His name has not been made public yet.
The truck driver, a 74-year-old man from Theresa, was not injured, authorities said.
Authorities have not released any additional information about the Dodge County crash at this time. The accident is still being investigated.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
When people read about a fatal crash between a tanker truck and a passenger vehicle, especially under foggy conditions, the immediate question is: Was this just an unfortunate accident caused by weather, or did someone make a preventable mistake?
Right now, we know that a young man in a BMW lost his life after colliding with a semi at a rural intersection. Authorities say fog was present, but that alone doesn’t answer the critical legal questions: Who had the right of way? Was either driver traveling too fast for the limited visibility? And was anything more the truck driver, or his employer, should have done to prevent this?
One issue that demands attention is the truck’s approach to the intersection. Depending on whether the truck had a stop sign or was proceeding straight through, different liability questions arise. If the BMW driver failed to yield or misjudged the truck’s position, some might be tempted to place all the blame on him. But that conclusion is premature.
Truck accidents are rarely as simple as one driver making a bad decision. A proper investigation will need to look at what the truck driver could see and when. Was his view also obscured by fog, and if so, was he operating at a safe speed under the circumstances? Was he using his headlights properly? Did the tanker have reflective markings or lights that would have made it more visible in low-visibility conditions?
Just as important is what evidence the truck might carry. Most modern rigs are equipped with engine control modules, essentially black boxes, that can show vehicle speed, braking and other key metrics in the moments before a crash. If the truck had forward-facing dash cams, those could help answer whether the BMW appeared suddenly or whether the driver could have responded sooner. Cell phone records can also show whether the driver was distracted at the time.
Then there’s the matter of the driver himself. At 74 years old, was he medically cleared for duty? Was he still meeting the reaction-time and alertness standards required for safe commercial driving? That’s not something to assume either way; it requires medical records and a review of the company’s driver vetting process.
Finally, weather may play a role in how a crash unfolds, but it doesn’t excuse poor decision-making. I’ve handled plenty of cases where fog or rain was a factor, but the real issue was someone failing to adjust their behavior to the conditions. That’s why it’s critical to gather all the evidence before deciding where fault lies.
Key Takeaways:
- It’s still unclear who had the right of way or how much visibility each driver had at the time of the crash.
- Investigators should obtain black box data, dash cam footage and cell phone records to reconstruct the crash accurately.
- The truck driver’s age and fitness for duty may be relevant depending on his medical clearance and recent driving history.
- Fog may have contributed, but driver behavior under those conditions is what ultimately determines legal responsibility.
- A thorough investigation is the only way to determine whether this crash was avoidable and who, if anyone, failed to act responsibly.
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