Hamilton County, IN — April 16, 2025, Aaron Riggs was killed and another person was injured in a truck accident at about 6:50 a.m. on U.S. Route 31.

Authorities said a southbound car collided with a northbound semi-truck just north of 161st Street.

The driver of the car, Aaron Riggs, 55, of Atlanta, IN, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, according to authorities.

The truck driver was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, authorities said.

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

Commentary

When a crash involves opposing lanes of travel on a divided highway like U.S. Route 31, the legal questions quickly turn to how one vehicle ended up crossing into the path of another, and whether either driver had the ability to avoid the collision once that happened. In cases like this, the impact is often severe, and the consequences are immediate. But that doesn't mean the investigation should stop at the fact that two vehicles collided head-on.

One of the first issues that needs to be examined is whether roadway design or traffic conditions contributed to the crash. At 6:50 in the morning, visibility can be affected by glare, weather or congestion. Was there a curve, construction or other feature that created a moment of confusion or misjudgment? Did one of the vehicles attempt a pass, a turn or a correction that led to the collision? These are the questions that determine whether the crash was simply a result of driver error or part of a more complicated set of circumstances.

For the semi-truck driver, investigators will need to confirm the vehicle was being operated within its lane and at a safe speed for the conditions. While a driver in the correct lane generally isn't expected to anticipate a vehicle crossing into oncoming traffic, commercial operators are held to a higher standard. If there was any opportunity to swerve, brake or otherwise mitigate the severity of the crash, those actions will come under review.

At the same time, it's important not to make assumptions about fault simply based on which vehicle crossed the centerline. In many cases, the final position of the vehicles doesn't tell the full story. A sudden mechanical issue, evasive action to avoid a different hazard or a reaction to another vehicle can all create a chain of events that results in a crossover collision.

What makes crashes like this especially difficult is that they often happen in a matter of seconds and leave very little physical evidence behind. That’s why black box data, dashcam footage and witness statements are so important. They can reveal not just how the vehicles moved, but how much time either driver had to react, and whether those reactions were appropriate.

The investigation should focus not just on lane position, but on timing, judgment and the roadway environment. Because when a person loses their life in a head-on crash with a commercial vehicle, it’s not enough to say that something went wrong. The real question is whether the outcome could have been avoided, and if so, what decisions or conditions made it impossible. That’s the level of scrutiny a crash like this demands.