Toledo, OH — April 18, 2025, One person was injured following a car accident that occurred at around 12:47 A.M. on Jackman Rd.

An investigation is underway following a car accident that left one person injured during the early-morning hours of April 18th. According to official reports, a woman was traveling on Jackman Road in the southbound lanes near Talbot Street when for unknown reasons the vehicle lost control and left the roadway and struck a telephone pole causing the vehicle to flip over.

When first responders arrived on the scene, they found that the driver had sustained critical injuries and she was transported to the hospital for treatment. At this time there has been no further information released from the accident, including the identity and status of the driver's injuries, however this remains an ongoing investigation and more details may be released by authorities in the future.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When a vehicle veers off the roadway, collides with a fixed object, and overturns, especially in the early-morning hours, it's often attributed to driver error without a deeper look at contributing factors. But to truly understand what led to this crash, the investigation must be anchored in three critical questions: Did the authorities conduct a thorough and complete investigation? Has anyone examined whether a vehicle defect may have contributed to the loss of control? And has all relevant electronic data from the vehicle been collected?

The first issue is the scope of the crash investigation. In single-vehicle incidents involving a rollover and critical injuries, a full reconstruction is necessary to determine the vehicle’s trajectory and the forces at play. Investigators should analyze the point at which the vehicle left the roadway, tire marks or evasive maneuvers, and the condition of the road surface. Understanding why the vehicle left the travel lane and whether the driver attempted corrective actions is essential. Without that analysis, critical evidence may go unrecognized.

Second, mechanical or electronic failure must be considered. A sudden loss of steering or braking functionality, tire blowout, or electronic throttle issue can cause a driver to lose control, even on a straight and familiar stretch of road. Rollovers after striking a pole also raise questions about the vehicle’s center of gravity and the integrity of its suspension system. These factors can’t be identified without an expert inspection, and if the vehicle is repaired or disposed of before such an inspection occurs, the opportunity to uncover contributing defects may be permanently lost.

Finally, it’s important to determine whether the vehicle’s electronic control module (ECM) has been accessed and the data retrieved. The ECM may contain valuable information, such as speed, throttle position, brake engagement, and steering input during the moments leading up to the crash. This data can help clarify whether the vehicle responded to driver input or if something failed. Additional sources of digital evidence—such as surveillance cameras in the area or GPS data from mobile devices—may also support a more accurate reconstruction of the incident, provided that they are preserved in time.

Crashes involving critical injuries and rollovers deserve an approach grounded in detailed analysis, not assumption. By asking the right questions, exploring the possibility of mechanical failure, and securing digital evidence, we can move toward a complete understanding of the incident. This process ensures that all contributing factors are identified and that any lessons that need to be learned are based on evidence, not speculation.