Van Zandt County, TX — April 9, 2025, Allen Rutland was injured as the result of a semi-truck accident at around 5:17 p.m. along Interstate 20.

According to initial details from authorities, the accident took place near Highway 64 northwest of Canton.

Investigators said that 43-year-old Allen Rutland was in a Ford F-250 traveling eastbound along I-20. In events which can't be confirmed right now, a rear-end collision occurred with a Volvo semi-truck.

Due to this, Allen Rutland reportedly sustained serious injuries. There were no other reported injuries. Additional details about the crash are unavailable at this time.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

Any crash involving a commercial vehicle is going to present unique challenges. I've handled hundreds of them, and it can be a vital step forward just to make sure the investigations are being handled properly. While it's understandable people might wait for authorities to finish their investigations, they sometimes aren't really giving an accident the attention it needs. That's why I find it helpful to ask some key questions early on.

One of the first questions to consider is whether investigators had the proper time, training, and equipment to fully document the crash scene. Any serious accident requires careful work—recording vehicle positions, damage patterns, skid marks, and road conditions—to piece together exactly what happened. If investigators were rushed or lacked the necessary resources, important evidence could have been missed, making it harder to uncover the full story.

It’s also critical to ask whether the vehicles involved were properly inspected for possible defects. Problems like brake failures, steering malfunctions, or even faulty tires can contribute to a crash and often aren’t obvious without a thorough inspection. Issues with seatbelts and airbags can also make crashes more serious than they otherwise would have been. If vehicles are moved or repaired before being carefully examined, key evidence can easily be lost.

Finally, has all available crash-related electronic data been secured? Many modern vehicles record valuable information—such as speed, braking, and steering input—leading up to a collision. That data, along with possible phone records or nearby surveillance footage, can offer important clarity, but it must be preserved early before it’s lost.

If authorities can provide satisfactory answers to these4 questions, it's usually a sign they're doing good investigations and will make sure all the facts are told fairly. But when people feel that things aren't adding up or that authorities aren't considering their side of the story, it gives them an opportunity to seek out independent investigators who can help ensure nothing important slips through the cracks.