Update (October 10, 2025): Authorities have identified the person killed in this accident as 27-year-old Covina resident Corrine Danielle Vives.

Kern County, CA — September 17, 2025, one person was killed in a truck accident at about 3:10 a.m. on Interstate 4/West Side Freeway.

Authorities said a 2023 Kia Sorrento stopped in a traffic lane of southbound I-5 before it was hit from behind by a 2025 International semi-truck northwest of Mettler. The collision carried both vehicles into the dirt median.

The driver of the Kia, a 27-year-old Covina woman, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash north of Valpredo Avenue, according to authorities. Her name has not been made public yet.

The truck driver was not hurt, authorities said.

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

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When people hear that a semi-truck rear-ended a stopped SUV on the freeway, their first thought is often, “Why was that vehicle stopped there in the first place?” That’s a fair question, but it’s only one part of the story. The deeper legal issue is whether the truck driver had enough time and distance to see the stopped vehicle and avoid the crash. Depending on what the evidence shows, this might not be as clear-cut as it seems.

At this point, the public only knows what’s been shared by authorities: a 2023 Kia Sorrento was stopped in a traffic lane on southbound I-5, and a semi-truck hit it from behind at around 3:10 a.m. Both vehicles were pushed into the dirt median, and the driver of the Kia lost her life at the scene. The truck driver was reportedly unhurt.

But here’s what we don’t yet know, and what any serious investigation needs to uncover:

• Why was the SUV stopped in a live lane of traffic? Did it break down? Did the driver pull over for an emergency? Did she have time to move to the shoulder and couldn’t? Right now, those are unanswered questions.
• Did the truck driver have enough time to respond? Commercial trucks often have dash cameras and engine control modules (ECMs) that can show whether the driver braked, swerved or was distracted. If that data shows the truck maintained speed for too long, or didn’t react at all, that raises serious questions about the driver’s attention.
• Was visibility a factor? A crash at 3 a.m. raises the possibility of limited sight distance. But that cuts both ways. If a vehicle is stopped in a lane, visibility matters, but so does how long it’s been there and whether any hazard lights were on. Again, we don’t have that information yet.
• What about driver fatigue or distraction? It’s no secret that early morning hours are a high-risk time for long-haul truckers. Was the trucker nearing the end of a shift? Was he alert and rested? Cell phone records, electronic logs and in-cab video could provide that answer.

I’ve handled more than a few rear-end truck cases where the victim’s vehicle was stopped in the roadway. In some of those, the trucking company’s defense boiled down to, “It wasn’t our fault because the vehicle shouldn’t have been there.” But once we dug into the evidence — black box data, time-stamped dash cam video and the driver’s hours-of-service records — it turned out that the truck had plenty of time to slow down but didn’t. That can turn the case completely around.

This crash may ultimately come down to how long the Kia had been stopped and whether the trucker was in any position to avoid it. Right now, we just don’t know. What we can say is that determining fault here requires more than speculation. It requires hard evidence, expert analysis and asking the right questions.

Key Takeaways:

• It’s unclear why the SUV was stopped in a traffic lane, which is a key fact in understanding this crash.
• Critical questions remain about the truck driver’s awareness, reaction time and possible distraction or fatigue.
• Black box data, dash cams and cell phone records can help determine whether the crash could have been avoided.
• The timing of the crash (3:10 a.m.) makes visibility and alertness important factors.
• Real accountability depends on a thorough investigation, not assumptions.