1 Killed in Truck Accident on I-95 in Mansfield, MA

Mansfield, MA — February 13, 2025, one person was killed in a truck accident at about 12:30 a.m. on northbound Interstate 95.

Authorities said an unidentified sedan crashed into the back of a box truck near mile marker 12.

A passenger in the sedan died in the crash, according to authorities. The passenger’s name has not been made public at this time.

No other injuries were reported.

Authorities have not released any additional information about the crash at this point. The accident is still under investigation.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

Rear-end crashes often lead people to assume the driver in the back was entirely at fault. While that may turn out to be the case here, my experience handling truck accident cases has shown me that the full story is rarely that simple. The key question in a crash like this isn’t just who hit whom, but why the collision happened in the first place.

One issue investigators need to consider is visibility. This crash happened just after midnight, a time when low lighting conditions can make it harder for drivers to see ahead. Was the box truck properly illuminated? Were its taillights and reflectors functioning as required? If the truck was moving slower than expected or had recently changed lanes, a driver approaching from behind might not have had enough time to react.

Speed is another critical factor. How fast was each vehicle traveling before impact? The engine control module (ECM) from the truck should be reviewed to determine whether it was maintaining a reasonable speed for that stretch of highway. Investigators should also check whether the sedan’s driver had enough time to react based on its speed and following distance.

Another question worth asking is whether the truck made any unexpected maneuvers. Was it merging into a lane when the sedan approached? Was it slowing down for any reason? Dashcam footage, traffic cameras and eyewitness statements can help determine whether the sedan driver had a fair chance to avoid the crash.

At this stage, there’s not enough information to say exactly what caused this wreck. But if investigators only focus on the fact that one vehicle rear-ended another without looking at visibility, speed and vehicle movements, important details could be missed. A proper investigation needs to go beyond just identifying who hit whom and instead focus on what led up to the crash.