Warren County, MO — December 9, 2024, a man was killed following a truck accident at approximately 3:30 a.m. along Interstate Highway 70.
According to authorities, an 18-wheeler had parked along the right side of an off-ramp from I.H. 70 when the accident took place.
The cause of the accident remains unclear. Officials indicate that, for as yet unknown reasons, a motor vehicle occupied by a man from Warrenton veered off of the right side of the ramp, colliding with the rear-end of the parked truck.
The man suffered reportedly life-threatening injuries and was transported to a local medical facility by EMS in order to receive immediate treatment. However, he was ultimately unable to overcome the severity of his injuries, having later been declared deceased, according to reports. 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
Any time a vehicle strikes the rear-end of a parked 18-wheeler, particularly in the early hours of the morning, the first question that comes to my mind is why was the truck parked there in the first place? That might seem like a minor detail to some, but from a legal standpoint, it can make all the difference in the world when it comes to figuring out who is responsible for a deadly crash like this one.
Most people don’t realize that commercial trucks aren’t allowed to park just anywhere. The side of an off-ramp may seem like a convenient place to stop, but it’s typically not considered a safe or legal location unless the truck is disabled or there’s an unavoidable emergency. And even then, there are specific steps that truck drivers are supposed to take—like setting out warning triangles or activating hazard lights—to reduce the risk of a crash. If those steps weren’t taken, or if the truck had no legitimate reason to be stopped there at all, that could put a significant portion of the blame on the driver or their employer.
I’ve worked on cases just like this, where a driver veered off the road and struck a parked truck. In one case, the trucking company insisted the truck had mechanical trouble and couldn’t move. But once we brought in mechanical experts to inspect the vehicle, it turned out the truck was perfectly capable of being driven to a safer location. The real issue was that the company had never trained their driver on what to do when problems arise. So when something unexpected happened, the driver panicked and made a poor decision—one that cost someone their life.
That’s why it’s not enough for investigators to just document where the vehicles ended up. They need to dig deeper. Was the truck properly lit? Were warning devices set out? Did the company provide clear guidance on when and where their drivers could stop? These are the kinds of questions that need answers, especially when someone loses their life in a crash that might have been preventable.
From my perspective, the key issue in this wreck isn’t just that a vehicle left the roadway—it’s whether that 18-wheeler should have been sitting there waiting to be hit. Getting to the bottom of that means looking beyond the crash scene, holding the right parties accountable, and ensuring that those affected by the wreck receive the clarity and closure they deserve.
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