Perry County, TN — October 14, 2025, Andrew Maxwell was killed in a dump truck accident at about 8:30 a.m. on U.S. Route 412.

Authorities said a Kenworth dump truck was heading east near Old Linden Road when it began to swerve before going off the right side of the road. It overturned after moving back onto the road.

Driver Andrew Maxwell, 29, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash west of Hohenwald, according to authorities.

Another vehicle, a Dodge Durango, flipped over and caught fire to avoid the overturned dump truck, authorities said. Driver Samantha Sharp, 32, suffered minor injuries in the crash.

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

Commentary

When someone reads about a dump truck overturning and killing its driver, the obvious question is, how does something like that even happen? Most people assume these massive trucks are built for stability, especially on straightforward routes like U.S. 412. But here, a fully loaded dump truck reportedly swerved off the road, veered back on and then rolled over, killing the driver in the process. That sequence demands answers.

Unfortunately, the initial reports don’t provide much. We don’t yet know why the dump truck swerved or what the driver was doing at the time. Was there a mechanical failure? A distraction? Did the driver overcorrect? Depending on what actually occurred, entirely different legal questions come into play.

For example, if the swerve was due to driver distraction, it’s important to ask: was the driver on the phone? Was there an in-cab camera that could show what happened in the moments before the crash? Many dump trucks these days are equipped with engine control modules, which record data about speed, braking and steering inputs. If investigators pull that data, it may help paint a clearer picture of what went wrong.

On the other hand, if the truck malfunctioned — say, a tire blew out or the steering failed — then responsibility may shift away from the driver. In that scenario, maintenance records become critical. Was the truck properly inspected? Were there any prior complaints about how it handled? I’ve handled cases where seemingly minor mechanical issues turned out to be deadly, all because a company skipped steps or took shortcuts on safety.

Then there’s the broader issue of how the trucking company vetted and trained this driver. It’s one thing for a driver to make a mistake, but I’ve seen too many cases where a company knew a driver was unfit and hired them anyway. One driver I dealt with had been fired multiple times before landing a job with a company that gave him a 20-minute road test and called it “training.” When that driver caused a fatal crash, the evidence showed that the company had more to answer for than the driver did.

It’s also worth noting that this crash affected more than just the truck driver. A second vehicle, a Dodge Durango, flipped and caught fire trying to avoid the overturned dump truck. Thankfully, the driver only suffered minor injuries, but that doesn’t change the fact that another life was put at serious risk by whatever caused this truck to lose control.

Again, the news reports don't tell us whether the dump truck was carrying a load at the time or if weight distribution played a role in its instability. In many cases, improper loading is a hidden factor behind rollovers. If the center of gravity was too high, or if cargo shifted during a sudden maneuver, that could easily explain how the truck flipped after re-entering the roadway.

The truth is, nobody can say with certainty what caused this crash until a thorough investigation is conducted. And by “thorough,” I mean someone needs to review cell phone records, ECM data, dash cams (if available), maintenance logs and possibly even the driver’s employment file. That’s how you move beyond speculation and start getting real answers.

Key Takeaways:

• The cause of the dump truck’s loss of control remains unknown, making investigation critical.
• Important evidence may include ECM data, dash cam footage, maintenance logs and the driver’s phone records.
• Depending on whether the swerve was driver error or a mechanical issue, different parties could be responsible.
• The crash endangered not just the truck driver but also another motorist, raising broader safety questions.
• A full investigation is needed to determine whether this was an isolated mistake or a preventable system failure.