Lasalle County, IL — June 12, 2025, One person was injured following an 18-wheeler accident that occurred at around 1:38 P.M. on I-80.

According to official reports, an 18-wheeler and box truck collided on the westbound lanes of Interstate 80 near mile-marker 75, though how the crash occurred is not yet known.

First responders arrived at the scene and found one person seriously injured, and they were transported to the hospital via helicopter. It's not clear whether the injured motorist was from the semi or box truck, and their identity has not been released. This is an ongoing investigation.

Commentary

When two commercial vehicles collide on a major interstate, one of the first questions people ask is: How did both trucks end up in each other’s path? That’s especially true here, where the crash involved both an 18-wheeler and a box truck—and yet, we don’t know who hit whom, how it happened, or why.

Authorities say the wreck occurred in the westbound lanes of Interstate 80 near mile marker 75, but they haven’t released any details about how the crash unfolded. What we do know is that one person was seriously injured and had to be airlifted from the scene. What we don’t know is whether that person was in the 18-wheeler or the box truck—or what role, if any, each vehicle played in causing the collision.

Questions That Still Need Answers

A crash between two commercial trucks raises a lot of questions that surface-level reports just don’t cover. For instance:

• Which vehicle initiated the collision? Did one truck slow down or stop in traffic and get rear-ended? Did a lane change or merge go wrong? Without that information, we’re missing the most basic context.
• Was either driver distracted or fatigued? Getting access to phone records, in-cab camera footage, or logs of driver hours could reveal whether either driver was in a condition to be operating safely.
• Did either vehicle malfunction? A mechanical failure—like brake loss, tire blowout, or steering problems—could be a factor. That can’t be determined without a post-crash inspection.
• What does the black box data show? Both trucks likely have engine control modules that record speed, braking, and throttle activity before impact. That data could clarify how fast the trucks were moving and whether either driver tried to avoid the collision.

Why Investigations Must Go Beyond the Obvious

When only one person is reported injured, people sometimes assume the other driver “must not have been hurt, so they must not have done anything wrong.” But my experience in similar cases says otherwise. In some of the cases I’ve litigated, the driver who caused the crash walked away unharmed—while the person they hit was left with life-altering injuries.

That’s why determining fault is not a matter of injury reports or assumptions. It’s a matter of reconstructing the events based on real, verifiable evidence. That includes pulling crash data, reviewing hiring and training practices, and securing any camera footage that may exist—especially if either truck had a forward-facing dash cam or blind spot monitoring system.

Key Takeaways

• Authorities haven’t yet explained how the collision between the box truck and 18-wheeler occurred.
• It remains unclear which driver was injured, or who—if anyone—caused the crash.
• Investigators should review ECM data, camera footage, phone records, and vehicle condition.
• A proper investigation may also involve scrutinizing company policies on driver training and oversight.
• The full story only emerges when all the evidence is collected and analyzed.