Butler County, KS — May 29, 2025, two people were injured in a truck accident at about 6:20 p.m. on State Highway 254.
Authorities said a passenger car was headed north on SW River Valley Road when it was hit by a semi-truck going east on Kansas 254 hauling two trailers.
The driver of the car, a 41-year-old man, and a passenger, a 40-year-old woman, were hospitalized with serious injuries after the crash outside of Towanda, according to authorities. Their names have not been made public yet.
The truck driver was not injured, authorities said.
Authorities have not released any additional information about the Butler County crash. The accident is still being investigated.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
When a semi-truck hauling two trailers crashes into a passenger vehicle at an intersection, as appears to have happened here on State Highway 254, the question most folks have is: How could two vehicles end up in the same place at the same time with such devastating results? That’s the heart of the matter, and it’s where any meaningful investigation has to begin.
Right now, the only publicly available detail is that the car was traveling north on SW River Valley Road and the truck was headed east on Highway 254. But that raises several unanswered questions: Was one of the vehicles trying to turn? Did someone run a red light or fail to yield at a stop sign? Were there any sightline issues or traffic signal malfunctions? Without clarity on who had the right of way, we can’t begin to understand who, if anyone, may be responsible.
Just as important as what happened is how we find out. A thorough investigation into a crash like this typically involves gathering hard evidence: dash cam footage (if available), surveillance video from nearby businesses and data from the truck’s engine control module, the so-called “black box.” That device can show the truck’s speed, braking activity and steering inputs leading up to the crash. In my experience, that kind of data is often the only way to move beyond guesswork and finger-pointing.
It’s also critical to look at the human side of the equation. Was the truck driver distracted, fatigued or speeding? Cell phone records and in-cab camera footage, if the truck was equipped with either, can help answer those questions. And we can’t ignore the role of the trucking company. Did they perform a thorough background check on the driver? Were they monitoring driving habits in real time? These are standard oversight practices for responsible carriers, and a lack of them can contribute directly to unsafe behavior on the road.
Depending on whether this crash happened during a turn, in a merge situation, or at a blind intersection, different liability questions arise. But none of those questions can be answered without doing the legwork. Until that’s done, any assumptions about fault are premature.
Key Takeaways:
- It’s not yet clear who had the right of way at the time of the crash or how the vehicles came into conflict at the intersection.
- Black box data, dash cams and cell phone records can help clarify what the truck driver was doing leading up to the collision.
- Trucking company hiring and supervision practices may come under scrutiny depending on what the investigation reveals.
- Determining fault requires more than police statements; it requires a deep dive into physical and digital evidence.
- The goal is to find out not just what happened, but whether it could have been prevented and who is accountable.
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