An early-morning crash involving a semi-truck and a passenger car shut down the inbound lanes of the Edens Expressway near Touhy Avenue, on the border of Skokie and Lincolnwood, Illinois.
According to Illinois State Police, the crash occurred just before 4 a.m. when a semi-truck collided with a Toyota Camry near the Touhy Avenue exit. The semi-truck reportedly rolled over and caught fire. The truck driver was pronounced dead at the scene, while the driver of the Camry was transported to a nearby hospital in an unknown condition. Investigators have not yet determined what caused the semi-truck to overturn or ignite, and the investigation remains ongoing.
Whenever I hear about a crash where a semi-truck rolls over, I think about how important it is to understand exactly what caused the vehicle to lose control and whether mechanical issues or defects were a factor in the accident. In my experience, these cases require a close look at every element, especially when the truck's condition could have influenced how serious the crash was.
Could a Defect or Equipment Failure Have Caused the Rollover or Fire?
Modern commercial trucks are complex machines, and a failure in just one system like the brakes, suspension, steering, or even the frame can cause a loss of stability or control. In a case like this, where the semi-truck rolled over for reasons still unknown, investigators should consider whether a structural issue or defective part contributed to the crash. A steering linkage failure, for example, or a tire blowout due to a faulty sidewall could have triggered the rollover.
The fact that the truck caught fire so quickly after impact raises further concerns about the condition and safety of the fuel system. Fire after rollover can sometimes be traced to ruptured fuel lines, compromised tanks, or other defects in how the system was designed or maintained.
What Evidence Should Be Examined to Determine the Cause?
To understand whether a product defect or mechanical issue played a role, investigators will need to recover and preserve the truck’s Engine Control Module (ECM) data, which can offer insight into speed, braking, gear shifts, and throttle activity just before the crash. A forensic inspection of the wrecked truck, particularly the suspension, brake systems, tires, steering components, and fuel delivery system, should also be conducted as soon as possible before fire damage obscures key evidence.
In addition, any recent maintenance logs, inspection reports, and manufacturer defect or recall notices for the truck’s make and model will be important in identifying whether there was a known problem that went unaddressed.
Why Careful Investigation of the Vehicle Is Critical
From my experience, crashes where a semi-truck rolls over and bursts into flames aren’t always the result of driver behavior alone. In some cases, the vehicle itself fails—and that failure becomes the difference between a survivable crash and a fatal one. A thorough investigation into the truck’s mechanical condition and design is critical, not just to determine what happened here, but to provide answers to those affected.