Hampton, TN -- March 19, 2023, one person was injured due to an accident where an 18-wheeler hit a pickup on Highway 19E.

Tennessee Highway Patrol officials said they were called to the area of the crash early Sunday morning. It appears a pickup going northbound on US Highway 19E broke down and moved "partially out of the roadway." The vehicle had its emergency lights on, authorities said. Approaching it, an 18-wheeler allegedly failed to exercise due care and crashed into the pickup. That caused the vehicle to hit the pickup driver, who was outside working on the pickup.

The pickup driver was taken from the scene with unspecified injuries. No one else was hurt. It appears that authorities cited the tractor-trailer driver.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

I wouldn't jump to any conclusions without seeing more evidence about what all happened here. That said, authorities seeming to blame and even cite the truck driver could mean they have a pretty good idea of how this all could have been avoided. But as they say, it's not about what you know; it's about what you can prove.

For better or worse, early details like this would hardly add up to convincing evidence on their own. It would leave too much room for interested parties to shift the narrative and fill in the blanks as they please. That's why I always try to emphasize to people how crucial it is to have clear evidence that can speak for itself. If authorities are right here that a truck driver wasn't exercising due care, there needs to be a clear explanation as to whether or not that's why this crash occurred.

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