Berkeley County, WV — January 4, 2026, a child was killed as the result of an 18-wheeler accident that happened around 4:00 a.m. along Interstate 81.

Investigators said in preliminary statements that the crash occurred along southbound lanes of the interstate in the area of mile marker 6, near Inwood.

According to officials, the 5-year-old child involved in the crash was in a pickup traveling along I-81 South. Due to factors not clear right now, the pickup and a tractor-trailer crossed paths and collided. Due to this, the child was killed.

The driver of the pickup was injured in the crash. No other injuries were confirmed. Additional details are unavailable at this time.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

My hope is that the lack of information available about this crash is simply authorities being tight-lipped until they're sure they have all the facts. Too often, a sparse news report is a sign that authorities are in over their heads. The reality is a lot of police officers might only see one or two deadly truck wrecks like this in their whole careers. Even less often will their departments give them the tools, training, or time needed for a thorough accident reconstruction.

That's why crashes like this are generally better off in the hands of independent accident reconstructions. Their priority is to gather the facts—whether that's cellphone data, maintenance records, driver history, inspections for defects, roadway analysis, and even tire reconstruction. Subtle or common, every factor is worth attention. That's only more true when a child loses their life. Their loved ones deserve to know they're getting all the facts. The sooner investigators work to preserve evidence, the more information the family will have.