San Diego, CA — January 29, 2026, one person was killed in a truck accident at about 2:45 a.m. in the 10600 block of North Torry Pines Road.
Authorities said a southbound 2024 Honda Civic collided with a semi-truck that was turning left into the Scripps Clinic. The car became wedged under the back end of the truck.
The Honda driver, a woman whose name has not been made public yet, died after being transported to a local hospital, according to authorities.
The truck driver was not injured, authorities said.
Authorities have not released any additional information about the San Diego County crash at this time. The accident is still under investigation.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
When people hear about a car becoming wedged under the back of a turning semi-truck, a natural question follows: How does that even happen? Was the truck moving too slowly across the road? Was it an improper turn? Was the car speeding or unable to see the trailer in time? These aren’t just abstract curiosities; they’re the questions that determine fault, and they need real answers backed by real evidence.
Based on what’s been reported, the truck was turning left when a southbound Honda Civic collided with the rear of its trailer. That leaves us with a key unanswered question: Was the trailer already in the road when the Civic approached, or was the truck actively crossing the lane at the time of impact? The difference matters. If the trailer was blocking the lane for too long, that could suggest the trucker misjudged the turn, failed to yield or otherwise created an unavoidable hazard.
Another question that’s just as important: Was the trailer properly lit and marked? In low-light conditions, like those at 2:45 a.m., a trailer without reflective markings, lights or underride guards can be almost invisible, especially from the side or rear. I’ve worked cases where trailers blended so completely into the dark that motorists never had a chance to stop. In some of those cases, the drivers did everything right, but the equipment set them up to fail.
To find out what really happened here, investigators should be looking at:
- Engine control module (ECM) data, to confirm the truck’s speed and behavior during the turn.
- Dash cam footage from the truck (if available), which could show the moment of impact.
- Surveillance or traffic camera footage in the area, especially since the crash happened near a medical complex.
- Lighting and reflective tape on the trailer, to see if it met federal visibility standards.
- Driver hiring and training records, in case this was a preventable error by someone who should never have been behind the wheel.
In short, it’s too early to say who was at fault, but it’s not too early to say that we need much more information before anyone draws conclusions. Too often I’ve seen cases where early assumptions miss the deeper failures that caused a crash.
Key Takeaways:
- It’s unclear whether the trailer was stationary or still turning when the crash happened, a crucial detail for determining fault.
- Visibility is a major issue in underride crashes; investigators should examine the trailer’s lighting and markings.
- ECM and camera footage, if available, could help establish timing, speed, and driver behavior.
- The truck’s role in blocking the lane, if any, must be carefully reconstructed through evidence, not assumptions.
- A thorough investigation must go beyond the scene and include the driver’s training and the company’s safety practices.
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