Vinton, LA — December 18, 2025, Gary Poole was killed in a truck accident at about 1 a.m. on eastbound Interstate 10.

Authorities said a semi-truck rear-ended another semi-truck near the junction with State Highway 108, causing its cargo to shift forward into the cab.

The driver of the first truck, 60-year-old Gary Poole of Waynesboro, MS, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, according to authorities.

The other driver was not hurt, authorities said.

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

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When folks hear that a truck driver was killed after his own cargo shifted forward into the cab, the first reaction is usually confusion. How does something like that even happen? Doesn’t cargo stay in the trailer? Most people assume that in an 18-wheeler crash, the danger comes from other vehicles, not from the freight behind the driver’s seat. But when I hear about a truck rear-ending another and the cargo shifting fatally into the cab, I immediately start asking different questions.

Was the cargo properly secured? What kind of load was this? Who packed it, and what kind of restraints were used? And perhaps most important: Did the force of the crash cause the cargo to move, or did poor loading make a bad crash worse?

We know from the report that this was a rear-end collision between two 18-wheelers on I-10 around 1 a.m. Beyond that, a lot remains unclear. For instance, we don’t yet know if the rear truck was following too closely, speeding or if the front truck stopped suddenly. Without that information, it’s impossible to assign fault for the crash itself. But even setting that aside, there’s a second layer to the tragedy: Why did the cargo move violently enough to kill the driver?

It’s not supposed to. Federal regulations require that freight be secured so it doesn’t shift during transit, even in a crash. That’s not just a good idea; it’s the law. So if a rear-end collision caused the cargo to surge forward and crush the driver inside the cab, then someone likely cut corners.

Depending on the type of load and how it was secured, several parties could bear responsibility. Was the cargo loaded by the driver himself, or by a separate loading company? Did the trailer have a bulkhead, or load locks or anything else to prevent forward motion? Did the carrier have procedures to check cargo securement before the truck left the yard?

Most folks would be surprised how many hands touch a load before it hits the highway. I’ve handled cases where not just the driver, but the shipper, the loader and even the logistics company bore some share of the blame. In one case, a metal sheet overhanging a flatbed killed a man because nobody stopped to say, “This isn’t safe.” That kind of shared negligence isn’t rare; it’s routine.

In this case, the available reports don’t tell us what was in the trailer or how it was secured. But if proper loading and inspection procedures had been followed, cargo shouldn’t have broken through into the cab, period. It takes a significant failure of safety practices for a truck to become a hazard to its own driver.

To find out what really happened here, investigators will need to look at:

• Bills of lading and shipping documents
• Load plans and securement methods
• Inspection records from before the truck departed
• Whether the truck had a bulkhead or other barrier in place
• The company’s training protocols for cargo handling

Without those answers, it’s too early to say exactly who is responsible. But I can say this much: cargo doesn’t load, or fail to secure, itself. There are real people whose job it was to make sure that trailer was safe to haul. If they didn’t do it right, someone needs to answer for that.

Key Takeaways:

• It's unclear whether driver error or another factor caused the rear-end collision, which will be critical to determine.
• Cargo should never shift forward into the cab if properly secured, even in a crash.
• Key questions include who loaded the cargo, what restraints were used and whether safety barriers (like a bulkhead) were in place.
• Liability may extend beyond the driver to the loading crew, carrier or shipping company.
• A full investigation, including cargo records and inspection protocols, is essential to get to the truth.