UPDATE (November 6, 2025): Recent reports have been released which identify the person who lost her life as a result of this truck accident as 24-year-old Aria Lawrence. No additional details are currently available. Investigations continue.

Jamestown, SC — October 24, 2025, one person was injured due to a three-vehicle truck accident at approximately 4:30 p.m. along Alternate U.S. 17.

According to authorities, one person was traveling in a southbound Chevrolet Malibu on Alternate U.S. 17 in the vicinity of Peartree Lane when the accident took place.

Officials indicate that, for as yet unknown reasons, a sideswipe collision occurred between the Malibu and a northbound Ford F-150 pickup truck. A secondary collision subsequently took place between the malibu and a northbound Freightliner.

The person who had been behind the wheel of the Malibu reportedly sustained fatal injuries over the course of the accident. It does not appear that anyone else was hurt. Additional details pertaining to this incident—including the identity of the victim—are not available at this point in time. The investigation is currently ongoing.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When a passenger vehicle is sideswiped by one oncoming vehicle and then collides with a second, much larger one, the legal question becomes: what caused the Malibu to cross into the path of northbound traffic—or did one of the northbound vehicles drift first? In a multi-vehicle crash like this, sequence and position are everything. Determining who made the initial error is key to understanding how liability should be assessed.

So far, reports state that a sideswipe occurred between the Malibu and a northbound pickup, followed by a secondary collision with a northbound Freightliner. That suggests the Malibu may have entered the opposing lane, but we don’t yet know why. Was the driver attempting a pass? Trying to avoid an obstacle? Was there a mechanical issue, a sudden swerve, or some other trigger? Investigators will need to review crash scene evidence, vehicle positions, and any available dash cam or traffic camera footage to reconstruct the order of impacts.

The timing of each collision also matters. If the Freightliner had time to brake or swerve but didn’t, that could raise questions about driver attentiveness or following distance between the truck and the pickup ahead of it. On the other hand, if the collision with the pickup immediately propelled the Malibu into the truck’s path, it may have been unavoidable—something engine control module (ECM) data and skid mark analysis can help clarify.

There’s also a possibility that the pickup initiated the sequence by drifting into the Malibu’s lane, which then pushed the Malibu into the path of the truck. Without witness statements or physical evidence, we can’t rule that out.

In cases I’ve handled with overlapping impacts like this, it’s common for the investigation to reveal shared responsibility, with the first point of contact triggering a deadly chain reaction that neither the passenger car driver nor the truck driver could avoid once it started.

Key Takeaways:

• The crash appears to have involved a sequence of impacts, starting with a sideswipe and ending in a fatal collision with a Freightliner.
• It remains unclear whether the Malibu or the pickup made the first lane departure; that distinction is critical to determining fault.
• ECM data, vehicle damage patterns, and scene measurements will be key to understanding timing and avoidance potential.
• Even if the Freightliner was not the initiating vehicle, its driver’s reaction—or lack thereof—must be evaluated.
• Multi-vehicle crashes often involve shared liability, and the full sequence of events must be carefully reconstructed before conclusions are drawn.