Montgomery Township, NJ — February 19, 2025, one person was killed and one was injured following an 18-wheeler accident at around 10:00 a.m. on Route 206.

Preliminary details about the accident say that it took place just outside the Nassau Tennis Club along northbound lanes of Route 206.

According to reports, a 64-year-old man was in a Subaru going northbound. For reasons unclear, the vehicle crashed into the back of an 18-wheeler which was also going northbound. As a result of the collision, the Subaru driver was killed.

It appears the truck driver had non-life-threatening injuries following the crash. No one else was involved, police say. The cause of the crash remains unconfirmed.

Commentary

From the moment I started handling commercial vehicle accident cases over 30 years ago to this day, people still believe the misconception that rear-end accidents are always the rear driver's fault. That's simply not true. While common factors can involve driver error, there are all kinds of other potential scenarios to consider.

Were issues with the roadway? Did the victim had a medical emergency? What if the front vehicle had faulty brake lights or didn't signal? Was the truck illegally parked on a lane of travel? Did the truck have a missing or worn under-ride bar which made a survivable crash fatal instead? Did the victim's brakes fail?

Likely or not, a proper investigation would at least rule out these sorts of possibilities. Either they can reassure a family that they're not missing anything important, or they'll show there's more to the situation than a typical rear-end collision. Either way, they should be sure they're getting the whole story. Are authorities taking those steps?