Olmstead County, MN — December 18, 2025, Abdulkadir Mohamud was injured in a truck accident at about 9:30 a.m. on State Highway 42 south of Elgin.

Authorities said a 2026 Freightliner semi-truck and a 2019 Toyota RAV4 were heading north when they collided near 75th Street NE.

Toyota driver Abdulkadir Mohamed Mohamud, 27, was transported to a Rochester hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries after the Viola Township crash, according to authorities.

The truck driver was not injured, authorities said.

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

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When people hear that a semi-truck and a smaller vehicle collided on a Minnesota highway, their first question is usually, “How did something like that happen in broad daylight?” That’s a fair question, especially since authorities haven’t said much about what actually caused the crash.

From what’s been reported so far, both vehicles were traveling in the same direction on Highway 42 when they collided near 75th Street NE. That tells us something happened while they were moving in the same lane or close to it; but without more detail, it’s impossible to say who moved into whom. Did the truck rear-end the SUV? Did the SUV try to pass and misjudge? Did one of the vehicles drift into the other’s path? We just don’t know yet.

To answer that, investigators will need to look beyond what’s visible at the scene. If the truck has a dash cam, it could show the moments leading up to the impact. The truck’s engine control module (ECM), often called the black box, might contain data on speed, braking and steering. Cell phone records could show whether either driver was distracted. And depending on where the damage occurred — front, side or rear — that could help narrow down how the collision unfolded.

One area I always look into in cases like this is whether the truck driver’s actions, or inactions, played a role. Was he keeping a safe following distance? Did he signal properly? Was he fully alert and in control of the vehicle? These questions matter, but they can't be answered just by guessing or assuming fault. They require hard evidence.

Another issue that often gets overlooked is the role of the trucking company. Even if the truck driver did something wrong, it’s worth asking how that driver was hired, trained and supervised. I’ve handled cases where a company put someone behind the wheel who had no business being there; drivers with long histories of safety violations or minimal training. In one case, the only “training” a driver got was a 20-minute test drive, and that was enough for the company to hand her the keys to an 80,000-pound vehicle. So when a crash happens, it’s not always just the driver under scrutiny; the company may bear responsibility for the decisions that led up to it.

At this point, we don’t even know whether this crash involved a lane change, a following distance error or a mechanical failure. What we do know is that someone ended up in the hospital, and that’s reason enough to take a closer look.

Key Takeaways:

• The crash reportedly involved both vehicles heading in the same direction, but the exact cause remains unclear.
• Investigators should examine dash cam footage, black box data and phone records to understand what led to the collision.
• Depending on who initiated the contact and how, different legal questions arise regarding fault and responsibility.
• Trucking company hiring and training practices may be just as important as the truck driver’s actions in determining liability.
• Getting to the truth requires a full investigation, not just relying on early reports or assumptions.