Jackson County, MO — January 21, 2026, an Independence man was killed due to an 18-wheeler accident that happened around 2:32 p.m. on I-70.

Investigators with the Missouri State Highway Patrol say that the crash happened in the area of the I-70 and Woods Chapel Road intersection.

According to officials, a 28-year-old Independence man was in a BMW going eastbound along the interstate. In events unclear, the BMW collided with a tractor-trailer traveling the same direction. Due to this, the Independence man was killed.

No injuries were reported. A cause for the crash has yet to be confirmed. Investigations are ongoing.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

Regardless of what happened here, it's important to know if there are skilled and well-equipped investigators getting answers for the victim's loved ones. People often think that's just a given after deadly truck wrecks. However, I've handled hundreds of commercial vehicle accident cases, and it would surprise folks how often authorities merely scratched the surface, then moved on.

Accident reconstruction isn't always a high priority for law enforcement agencies, and that can leave officers with divided attention and insufficient resources to do a proper investigation. Considering a lot of crucial evidence is time-sensitive, families often decide they'd feel more comfortable having independent professionals step in and pick up the slack while everything is still intact. In my experience, those families tend to get the answers they deserve.