Mahaska County, IA — January 21, 2026, Brooke Thurman, Claira Thurman, Jordan Thurman and three others were injured in a truck accident on State Highway 92.

Authorities said a Ford Escape was waiting to turn left into a private driveway when it was hit from behind by an eastbound seme-truck, forcing it into the path of a westbound Ford Edge. The two SUVs collided head-on.

All six people involved in the crash were hospitalized with unspecified injuries after the crash east of Oskaloosa, according to authorities.

The Edge was driven by Brooke Thurman, 33, with passengers Claira Thurman, 48, and Jordan Thurman, 26, authorities said, while there were a 15-year-old and a 13-year-old in the Escape. The truck driver was a 49-year-old Missouri man.

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

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When people read that a semi rear-ended an SUV waiting to turn, pushing it into oncoming traffic, they tend to assume the truck driver must have been distracted or following too closely. Maybe that’s true here. But without more information, we’re left with some serious unanswered questions, and I think it’s important to walk through what still needs to be figured out.

The most obvious unknown is why the truck failed to stop. Was the driver looking at his phone? Was he fatigued or speeding? Was he caught off guard by something else in the roadway? Right now, none of that has been reported. That means we’re working with assumptions rather than facts; and in my experience, the only way to move from assumption to truth is through hard evidence.

That evidence could come from the truck’s engine control module, which records braking, speed and throttle use in the moments before a crash. If that data shows no attempt to slow down, it points to inattention or delay. If there was hard braking but not enough distance, it may reflect poor following habits. In-cab cameras, if they were installed, could confirm whether the driver was distracted or alert.

Beyond the truck itself, there’s also the question of the trucking company’s hiring and training practices. Did they run a proper background check? Was the driver evaluated appropriately before being sent out on the road? I’ve handled cases where a driver was hired after being fired from multiple prior jobs, or where the “safety evaluation” was little more than a ride around the block. If those kinds of shortcuts were taken here, the company’s role in the crash deserves just as much scrutiny as the driver’s.

And here’s another factor: Was the Ford Escape clearly visible and signaling its turn? Depending on lighting, weather and road layout, even a careful driver could be caught off guard. That doesn’t erase responsibility, but it does shape how accountability should be assigned.

All six people in the crash were hospitalized, and yet the root cause is still unknown. Until someone collects cell phone records, onboard data and dash cam footage, if it exists, we won’t know if this was a momentary lapse, a pattern of risky behavior or a deeper problem with how the truck driver was supervised.

Key Takeaways:

• The key issue is why the semi failed to stop in time. Driver distraction, fatigue or improper following distance are all possibilities, but none are confirmed.
• Critical evidence may lie in the truck’s black box, in-cab camera footage and the driver’s phone records.
• The trucking company’s hiring and training practices also deserve scrutiny, especially if there’s a pattern of oversight failures.
• It’s unclear whether the turning SUV was clearly visible, which may affect how responsibility is shared.
• Without a full investigation, including vehicle data and witness interviews, the public can’t yet know who’s truly at fault.