Early Wednesday morning, a three-vehicle crash involving a tractor-trailer sent two people to the hospital on Interstate 40 near Highland in Memphis. According to the Tennessee Department of Transportation, the crash occurred just after 2 a.m. and involved a semi-truck allegedly colliding with another vehicle before striking the median and overturning. A man and a woman were transported to Regional One Health in non-critical condition. Authorities have not yet released details about what led to the crash, and the incident remains under investigation.
Whenever I hear about a crash where a semi-truck ends up overturned, I think about how quickly a moment of distraction or a lapse in judgment can spiral into a serious highway incident. In my experience, investigating what caused a truck to roll over is essential to understanding the full picture and ensuring everyone involved gets the answers they deserve.
Was Driver Fatigue or Distraction a Contributing Factor?
When a crash occurs in the early hours of the morning, fatigue and distraction must be considered as potential causes. Long-haul truck drivers often operate under strict delivery schedules that can push them to drive through the night, increasing the risk of drowsiness behind the wheel. Investigators will need to examine the truck driver's hours-of-service logs and electronic logging device (ELD) data to determine how long they had been on the road and whether rest periods were observed.
Similarly, in-cab distractions like GPS devices, phones, or even paperwork can lead to a momentary loss of focus that proves disastrous on a high-speed roadway.
Could Mechanical Issues Have Contributed to the Semi’s Loss of Control?
Another possibility investigators should explore is whether mechanical issues may have limited the semi-truck’s ability to respond to the traffic situation. Brake failures, tire blowouts, or steering malfunctions can all lead to loss of control, especially during evasive maneuvers or emergency braking.
A full post-crash inspection of the truck should be conducted, along with a review of recent maintenance logs, to determine whether the vehicle was in proper working condition at the time of the crash. Any past violations or deferred maintenance could be relevant to understanding how this happened.
What Information Will Help Clarify the Crash?
To reconstruct how this crash unfolded, investigators should collect Engine Control Module (ECM) data from the semi-truck, which can provide key insights like speed, braking force, and throttle position prior to the collision. Dash cam footage and traffic surveillance video may also help clarify the sequence of events, particularly in determining how the initial contact occurred between the semi and the other vehicle.
Scene evidence such as skid marks, debris fields, and vehicle positions will be important for crash reconstruction experts to evaluate fault and identify whether the truck’s movement was avoidable.
The Importance of a Comprehensive Investigation
In my experience handling commercial vehicle crash cases, I've found that incidents involving overturned trucks are rarely as straightforward as they appear. Understanding what the driver was doing, the condition of the vehicle, and how traffic conditions played a role all matter when determining what led to the crash. Only a thorough investigation can provide answers to these questions.