1 Injured in Truck Accident on State Route 99 in Sutter County, CA

Sutter County, CA — February 18, 2025, one person was injured in a truck accident at about 1:30 p.m. on State Route 99/Sawtelle Avenue.

Authorities said an SUV was struck from behind by a semi-truck after it turned north onto the highway from Hull Road. The crash caused the SUV and one of the truck’s trailers to overturn in the southbound lanes south of Yuba City.

The SUV driver suffered serious injuries in the crash, according to authorities. The 77-year-old man’s name has not been made public yet.

The truck driver was not injured.

Authorities have not released any additional information about the Sutter County crash at this time. The accident is still being investigated.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When I see a crash where a semi-truck rear-ended another vehicle, my first thought is that people may assume the SUV driver was at fault for turning in front of the truck. But in my experience, that assumption often turns out to be wrong. The real question here is why the truck driver didn’t stop in time to avoid the collision.

Rear-end crashes involving commercial trucks are more complicated than those between passenger vehicles. Because of their weight and size, trucks need significantly more time and distance to stop. That’s why federal regulations require truck drivers to maintain a safe following distance and be prepared for changing traffic conditions. If this driver didn’t leave enough space to react, that’s an issue of negligence.

Of course, there could be other factors at play. Was the truck driver speeding? Were they distracted or fatigued? Did the truck’s brakes fail? The only way to answer these questions is to go beyond the crash scene and examine evidence like black box data, dashcam footage, and driver logs.

In cases like this, I’ve also seen trucking companies try to shift blame. They might argue that the SUV made a sudden or improper turn. But without a thorough investigation, there’s no way to know if that’s true. If the SUV driver followed the rules of the road, then the truck driver — or even their employer — may be the ones responsible for this crash.

Right now, there’s a lot we don’t know. But one thing is certain: a rear-end collision between a semi-truck and a smaller vehicle is not as straightforward as it seems. If investigators don’t look at all the evidence, they might miss the real cause of this crash.