Two people were injured early Tuesday morning in a multi-vehicle crash involving a semi-truck on Interstate 35 in southern Iowa.
According to the Iowa State Patrol, the crash occurred around 5:14 a.m. in the northbound lanes near Osceola. A man driving a Ford Explorer reportedly struck the rear of a semi-truck while both were traveling north. The impact caused the Explorer to overturn and come to rest in the right lane. Moments later, a woman driving a Ford Escape collided with the overturned vehicle and also rolled over. Both drivers were hospitalized, and authorities noted the Explorer driver was not wearing a seatbelt. The semi-truck reportedly left the scene and has not yet been located. The crash remains under investigation.
When I read about a crash where a semi-truck is involved and then leaves the scene, I immediately think about the challenges investigators face in reconstructing what happened. In my experience, determining the sequence of events and the truck’s role is only possible with a thorough and well-documented investigation.
Could Distraction or Fatigue Have Played a Role for the Semi-Truck Driver?
The crash occurred just after 5 a.m.—a time when commercial drivers may be nearing the end of an overnight shift or still working through early-morning fatigue. Investigators will need to determine whether the truck driver was operating the vehicle attentively and lawfully in the moments before the Explorer made contact.
Even if the Explorer initiated the collision, that doesn’t mean the semi-truck was uninvolved. Gathering driver logs, route data, and any potential video footage may help determine whether the truck was being driven safely or whether its position or behavior contributed to the chain of events.
Why Did the Semi-Truck Leave the Scene?
One of the most pressing questions in this case is why the truck left the scene. In a crash involving injuries and multiple overturned vehicles, the expectation is that all involved drivers remain to assist and provide information. Investigators will need to determine whether the truck driver knew a collision occurred and left intentionally or whether they didn’t notice. Identifying and locating the truck will be critical to understanding its involvement and establishing a clear timeline of the crash.
What Types of Evidence Should Be Reviewed?
Since the semi-truck left the scene, it’s especially important that investigators collect as much physical and digital evidence as possible. That includes debris patterns, tire marks, and vehicle damage that can help reconstruct the positioning of all three vehicles. If traffic or toll cameras captured the semi-truck’s license plate or markings, that could help identify the driver. In addition, statements from witnesses and any in-vehicle recordings from the Ford Explorer or Escape could offer valuable insight into how the truck was behaving before the impact occurred. Once the truck is located, they may also want to examine its Engine Control Module (ECM).
Why It’s Crucial to Conduct a Full Investigation
In crashes involving a commercial truck—especially one that leaves the scene—getting answers isn’t always straightforward. From my experience, a complete investigation is the only way to determine whether the truck’s driver contributed to the crash, whether fatigue or distraction played a role, and why the driver failed to remain. That process is essential to understanding what happened and providing answers to those affected.