Weakley County, TN — June 23, 2025, Burnie Powers Jr. was injured in a dump truck accident on State Route 22 near Martin.

Authorities said a Freightliner dump truck crashed into the back of a 2017 IH tractor.

Tractor driver Burnie E. Powers Jr., 82, was flown to a Memphis hospital with serious injuries after the collision, according to authorities.

The dump truck driver was cited for following too closely and not have a commercial driver's license, authorities said.

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

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When people hear about a rear-end crash involving a dump truck and an 18-wheeler, one of the first questions they tend to ask is, “How does something like that even happen?” After all, highways are long, straight and offer plenty of visibility. So for one commercial truck to slam into the back of another raises serious questions about attention, speed and basic driving competence.

According to reports, the dump truck driver in this crash was cited not just for following too closely but also for not having a commercial driver’s license. That second detail is especially concerning. It means the driver shouldn’t have been behind the wheel of a commercial vehicle in the first place. But just how someone without proper qualifications got that job is an unanswered question. Was this a one-off case of someone slipping through the cracks, or a symptom of a larger problem in the company’s hiring practices?

What’s missing from the reports so far is any mention of dash cams, black box data or even witness statements that could clarify exactly how the crash unfolded. For example, was the dump truck speeding up before impact, or did it fail to slow down at all? Did the 18-wheeler stop suddenly, or was it maintaining a steady pace? Without that kind of evidence, it’s impossible to know whether this was a momentary lapse or something more systemic.

In my experience, these kinds of crashes often trace back to preventable issues: hiring drivers without proper screening, skipping training or failing to monitor how drivers behave behind the wheel. I've litigated cases where companies handed the keys to drivers with no business being on the road. Sometimes because they were desperate for labor, other times because they just didn’t care to check. When that happens, it’s not just the driver who’s to blame. The company that put him there needs to answer for those decisions too.

That’s why these cases have to be investigated from top to bottom. It’s not enough to cite a driver and move on. We need to know who hired him, whether they verified his license and what kind of oversight, if any, was in place to keep unsafe drivers off the road.

Key Takeaways:

• A dump truck rear-ended an 18-wheeler, raising questions about driver attention and vehicle speed.
• The dump truck driver lacked a commercial driver’s license, suggesting possible hiring failures.
• It's unclear whether black box data or dash cams have been reviewed to clarify how the crash occurred.
• The trucking company’s role in placing an unlicensed driver behind the wheel demands scrutiny.
• Full accountability depends on a thorough investigation into both driver actions and company practices.