Hardwick Township, NJ — On a Monday morning near the Delaware Water Gap Toll Bridge, an incident on the eastbound lane of Interstate 80 resulted in the death of 27-year-old Valdaishi Simpkins from Irvington.
Simpkins was beside her Honda, which had broken down on the highway’s right shoulder, when a Volvo semi-truck, traveling in the same direction, veered off the road and struck her just before 8:30 a.m. The events leading to this fatal encounter are under thorough investigation by state authorities, with additional details yet to be disclosed.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
One thing that comes up all the time in my line of work is something called the engine control module (ECM) data. ECMs, essentially the black box for trucks, hold crucial data on the truck’s activity before the incident. They’re game-changers in understanding what really happened. ECM data provides information like the truck’s speed, when the brakes were applied, and possibly even the driver’s reaction time. This kind of evidence is invaluable because the goals of any investigation should be getting the truth and holding any wrong-doers accountable.
Here’s the kicker, though—accessing and interpreting ECM data isn’t always straightforward. It requires technical know-how, specific tools, and someone to take the time to extract the data. Unfortunately, not all crash investigators have the resources to obtain this data. Until someone collects it, this evidence is of no use to anyone, least of all the victim’s family. As a result, they don’t get the whole truth and that shouldn’t sit right with anyone. I hope it doesn’t sound like I’m talking about inside baseball when I discuss the importance of ECM data, because it’s just one of dozens of areas of truck accident investigations that isn’t common knowledge, but which has very real repercussions.
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