Rankin County, MS — May 13, 2025, a woman was injured following a sedan versus truck accident sometime in the morning along U.S. Highway 49.
According to authorities, the accident took place on U.S. Highway 49 at the Star Road intersection.
Officials indicate that, for as yet unknown reasons, a collision took place between the sedan and an 18-wheeler. The woman who had been in the sedan was reportedly entrapped in the wreckage and had to be extricated by emergency personnel. Once freed from the aftermath, she was transported to an area medical facility by EMS in order to receive necessary treatment for injuries incurred in the crash. It does not appear that anyone else was harmed. 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
In my 30 years handling commercial vehicle cases, I’ve seen over and over that when a sedan and an 18-wheeler collide at an intersection, the crash is almost never a simple matter of “someone wasn’t paying attention.” These kinds of wrecks typically involve poor timing, limited visibility, or misjudged speed—and when a person ends up trapped in the wreckage, those underlying issues demand serious scrutiny.
The first legal question is what happened in the moments leading up to the collision. Was the truck turning across traffic? Was it attempting to enter or cross the intersection from a side road? Or was it the sedan that was making a maneuver when the truck approached? On paper, it might look like a case of right-of-way, but the reality on roads like U.S. Highway 49—especially at local intersections like Star Road—is more complicated. These locations often have uneven sight lines, fast-moving through traffic, and unclear signage, all of which can contribute to dangerous encounters between passenger cars and commercial vehicles.
Another layer of concern is whether the 18-wheeler was traveling at a safe speed and whether the driver was scanning the intersection properly. Trucks take far longer to stop or adjust course than a passenger vehicle, so they’re held to a higher standard when approaching areas where traffic is merging, turning, or crossing. If the truck failed to yield, or if it entered the intersection too aggressively, that could be a critical factor in determining fault.
And because this involved an 18-wheeler, the company behind the truck must be looked at as well. Did they assign a driver with sufficient training and route familiarity? Were there expectations about keeping to a schedule that might have led to rushed decisions? Was the truck properly maintained, especially the brakes and steering? I’ve handled cases where a crash that seemed like an unfortunate mistake turned out to be the result of poor hiring practices, inadequate safety training, or mechanical shortcuts that made a safe stop impossible.
Getting to the bottom of a crash like this means asking the right questions and refusing to stop at surface-level explanations. Serious wrecks deserve serious investigation, not assumptions. Understanding how both drivers approached the intersection, whether the truck was operated responsibly, and whether the company met its legal obligations is key to figuring out what might have happened. Getting clear answers to these questions is the least that can be done to help those affected find the clarity and closure they deserve.
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