Salina, NY — June 12, 2025, 15 people were injured in a truck accident at about 11:10 a.m. on eastbound Interstate 90/New York State Thruway.
Authorities said a passenger van slowed in an attempt to leave the highway at Exit 36 when it was hit from behind by a semi-truck. The impact caused the van to overturn.
All 15 people in the van were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries after the crash, according to authorities.
The truck driver and a passenger were not injured, authorities said.
Authorities have not released any additional information about the Onondaga County crash at this time. The accident is still under investigation.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
When people hear that a semi-truck slammed into the back of a van on the interstate, injuring everyone inside, the first question they often have is: How does something like that even happen? After all, we expect commercial truck drivers, especially those operating massive 80,000-pound rigs, to maintain safe distances and anticipate traffic movements. So when that doesn’t happen, something went seriously wrong.
At this point, the details available to the public leave a lot unanswered. Authorities say the van was slowing to exit the highway when it was hit from behind by the truck. But that simple description raises several key questions that need to be answered before anyone can truly understand what led to the crash, or who should be held accountable for it.
The first thing investigators should examine is the truck driver’s behavior leading up to the crash. Was the driver distracted? Was there a mechanical issue with the truck? These aren’t wild guesses; they’re standard investigative angles. Cell phone records can show whether the driver was texting or on a call. The truck’s engine control module (ECM), a kind of black box, can reveal how fast the truck was going, whether the brakes were applied and how much following distance the driver maintained.
Many trucks today also have in-cab cameras, which may capture the driver’s face and road conditions at the moment of impact. If this truck was equipped with that kind of technology, that footage could be invaluable in determining if the driver was paying attention, fatigued or simply made a critical error in judgment.
It’s also important to look at whether the vehicle itself was in good working order. Was there a brake failure? Were there issues with the tires or the trailer’s load? These questions might seem like technicalities, but in truck crash cases I’ve handled, equipment failures — especially ones tied to poor maintenance — often play a bigger role than most people expect.
Beyond the driver, it’s worth asking whether the trucking company did its part to prevent crashes like this. Did they conduct proper background checks and driver training? Was this driver ever cited for similar conduct before? I’ve litigated cases where the root cause wasn’t just the driver’s decision in the moment, but the company’s decision to put someone unfit behind the wheel in the first place. When a driver has a history of dangerous behavior, and a company ignores that red flag, the consequences can be serious.
Right now, the public is left with a few vague facts: a van was slowing down, and a truck hit it. That’s not enough. To get a complete picture, an independent investigation should pull together physical evidence, electronic data, witness statements and the trucking company’s safety records. Only then can we move from speculation to clarity.
Key Takeaways:
- We don’t yet know whether the truck driver was distracted, impaired or simply failed to brake in time.
- Electronic records — like dash cam footage and ECM data — are crucial to determining what the truck was doing in the moments before impact.
- The trucking company’s hiring and training practices may also come under scrutiny, depending on the driver’s history.
- It’s not clear whether a mechanical issue or a load problem contributed to the crash, but those possibilities must be ruled out through proper inspection.
- Full accountability will depend on evidence, not assumptions, and that requires a thorough, independent investigation.
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