Kiowa County, KS — May 7, 2025, Teresa Davis and two minors were killed in a truck accident at about 4 p.m. on U.S. Route 54.

Authorities said a 2000 Ford F-150 collided with a semi-truck east of Mullinville.

Ford driver Teresa Davis, 68, and two boys, ages 13 and 10, died in the crash, according to authorities. The truck driver was not injured.

Authorities have not released any additional information about the Kiowa County crash at this time. The accident is still under investigation.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

Any time a crash involves a pickup truck and a semi, especially one that ends in fatalities, the first priority in a proper investigation should be to figure out exactly how the collision occurred. A vague description like “they collided” leaves far too many questions unanswered.

For example, who had the right of way? Was either driver attempting to turn or cross the highway? What kind of visibility or reaction time did they each have? And in particular, what does the physical evidence — such as damage to the vehicles, skid marks and dashcam or engine control module data — say about the seconds leading up to the impact?

When young passengers are involved, as they are here, I think it’s especially important that investigators go beyond surface-level findings. In my experience, a lot of these investigations stop at the crash scene. But in a wreck this serious, that’s rarely enough to get to the truth. ECM downloads from the truck can show speed and braking data, and cell phone records might answer whether distraction played a role.

Until all of that is gathered and reviewed, I wouldn’t assume we know what caused the crash, or who, if anyone, failed to do their part to keep the road safe. Holding the right party accountable requires more than just filling out a report; it takes asking the hard questions and following the evidence wherever it leads.