Pine Bluff, AR — January 22, 2025, William Lawrence was killed and Raymond Cashel was injured in a truck accident at about 2:30 p.m. at West 3rd Avenue and Walnut Street.

Authorities said a Chevrolet Silverado and a dump truck collided at the intersection, sending the pickup into a utility pole.

Pickup driver William Lawrence, 61, died at the scene of the crash, according to authorities, while dump truck driver Raymond Cashel, 63, was hospitalized with minor injuries.

Authorities have not released any additional information about the crash at this time.

The accident is still under investigation.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When I hear about a crash like this, my immediate thought is that intersections are often where split-second decisions have the most serious consequences. However, determining what caused the collision between these two vehicles, and ultimately who is responsible, will require a thorough investigation. At first glance, some might assume one driver failed to yield or made an error, but crashes like this often involve much more than meets the eye.

One of the key questions investigators should address is whether either driver violated traffic laws. Intersections have clear rules about yielding, signaling and right of way, but those rules can be misinterpreted or ignored. Witness statements, surveillance footage and any traffic cameras in the area could help piece together what each driver was doing before the crash.

Another critical aspect is the condition of the vehicles involved, especially the dump truck. These heavy vehicles require more time to stop and can become difficult to maneuver if their braking systems, tires or other components aren’t in proper working order. If the truck’s systems failed or its cargo wasn’t secured correctly, that might point to issues with maintenance or loading that could shift liability to the truck’s owner or operator.

Road design and traffic control devices at the intersection should also come under scrutiny. Was the area properly marked, with clear signs or signals? Poorly designed intersections or malfunctioning traffic signals have been known to contribute to crashes, and this should be ruled out as part of any investigation.

Lastly, the human factors at play need to be carefully examined. Was either driver distracted or impaired? For instance, cell phone records, toxicology reports or interviews with witnesses might reveal whether inattentiveness or impairment contributed to the crash.

The larger point here is that multi-vehicle crashes at intersections are rarely open-and-shut cases. There are often many layers of responsibility, from the drivers themselves to the companies that maintain or operate larger commercial vehicles. Investigating a crash like this requires looking beyond the surface and considering the full picture — vehicles, roadways and human behavior — before drawing conclusions about what happened and who should be held accountable.