Ralls County, MO — November 14, 2024, one person was killed and four others were injured in a truck accident at about 4:35 p.m. on State Route 154.
Authorities said a westbound 2014 Chevrolet Express van crashed into the trailer of a 2022 Freightliner semi-truck that apparently failed to yield while heading north on State Highway F.
The driver of the van, a 70-year-old Frankford man, died at the scene of the crash, according to authorities. Three passengers suffered serious injuries in the crash, while a fourth sustained moderate injuries.
The truck driver was not injured in the crash, according to authorities.
Authorities have not released any additional information about the Ralls County crash.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
When folks hear about a deadly crash involving a van and an 18-wheeler, the first thing they want to know is: how could this have happened? And maybe more importantly, who’s actually responsible?
According to reports, the crash happened when a semi-truck allegedly failed to yield at an intersection, causing a westbound van to slam into its trailer. That raises serious questions about the truck driver’s actions and whether they lawfully entered the intersection. But we shouldn’t stop there. Crashes like this rarely boil down to one simple mistake. Getting to the truth means digging deeper.
We don’t yet know if the truck had a working engine control module (ECM), the truck’s black box, which would tell us critical facts like its speed, whether it stopped and how it was accelerating or braking in the moments before the crash. If that data shows the truck rolled into the intersection without stopping, that’s one thing. But if it stopped and then proceeded, thinking it was clear, that paints a different picture.
We also don’t know if dash cam footage exists from the cab, or whether the driver was using a cell phone at the time. These things matter. In one case I worked on, a trucker claimed he didn’t see a vehicle before pulling out, but we later learned he’d been on a call during the entire approach. Call records settled that dispute pretty quickly.
Another key piece of the puzzle is what role the trucking company may have played. Did they train this driver properly? What kind of hiring policies do they have in place? In a case I handled, we uncovered that a driver involved in a fatal crash had been fired multiple times before getting hired again, with barely any vetting. Turns out, the company’s lax standards did more harm than the driver ever could alone.
Depending on whether the semi-truck was loaded or empty, other questions might arise. A fully loaded truck takes more time and distance to clear an intersection safely. Did the driver take that into account, or did they misjudge the van’s approach speed? These are questions that can only be answered with a full investigation.
Key Takeaways
- Reports say the truck failed to yield, but without black box data or dash cam footage, we can’t know exactly how events unfolded.
- It’s not clear whether the truck stopped at the intersection or simply pulled into traffic.
- Investigators need to examine driver behavior, cell phone use and any on-board safety systems like cameras or ECMs.
- The trucking company’s hiring and training practices may have played a part and deserve scrutiny.
- A complete investigation, not just a police report, is the only way to identify all responsible parties.
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