Pearl River, LA — July 9, 2025, one person was injured in a truck accident at about 10:30 a.m. on State Highway 1090 near Nelson Road.

Authorities said a semi-truck hauling scrap overturned onto a passenger car.

The driver of the car was hospitalized with unspecified injuries after the crash, according to authorities. The driver's name has not been made public yet.

The truck driver was not injured, authorities said.

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

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When people hear that a semi-truck overturned onto a passenger car, one of the first things they’re likely to wonder is: How does something like that even happen? Trucks don’t just tip over for no reason. Something either went very wrong inside the truck, with the cargo or on the road itself, and figuring out which of those things occurred is critical to determining who’s responsible.

At this point, we don’t know much beyond the fact that the truck was hauling scrap and ended up on top of a car, sending that car’s driver to the hospital. But that single fact, that the trailer was carrying scrap, opens the door to a number of serious unanswered questions.

For one, was the cargo properly secured? Heavy, unevenly loaded or shifting scrap can easily destabilize a truck, especially during turns or sudden braking. That’s why federal cargo securement rules exist, to prevent exactly these kinds of wrecks. If a strap failed, or if the load wasn’t distributed correctly, that’s not just a matter of bad luck. It could point to carelessness by whoever loaded the trailer, or by the driver who’s supposed to inspect it before hitting the road.

Another possibility is that the truck tipped due to a maneuver, like swerving to avoid something, taking a turn too fast or braking improperly. In those cases, the driver’s training and actions matter. That’s why a proper investigation needs to look at things like dash cam footage, black box data and the driver’s record. Was the truck speeding? Did it make an unsafe lane change? Was the driver fatigued or distracted? We don’t know yet, but those are questions that can and should be answered with the right evidence.

It’s also worth considering whether the trucking company that owns the rig has a track record of safety violations or rushed hiring practices. I’ve seen plenty of cases where the person behind the wheel never should have been hired to begin with, because companies cut corners on driver vetting and training. That’s not speculation; it’s something that often comes to light once the investigation digs deeper than what’s visible at the crash site.

Ultimately, the public won’t know what really caused this wreck until someone outside law enforcement steps in to gather and analyze all available evidence. That includes the truck’s load manifest, maintenance logs, electronic logging devices, and any inspection reports. Without that, it’s impossible to say whether the fault lies with the driver, the company, the cargo handlers or some combination of them.

Key Takeaways:

• An overturned truck raises questions about cargo securement, driver actions, and vehicle stability.
• Investigators need to examine black box data, dash cams and cargo records to understand what happened.
• A poorly secured load, especially scrap, can easily cause a rollover if it shifts during transit.
• Trucking company hiring and training practices may be relevant depending on the driver’s role in the crash.
• Accountability depends on a full independent investigation that looks beyond surface-level facts.