Lecanto, FL — March 12, 2025, Crystal Jackson was killed and her three children were injured in a truck accident at about 7 a.m. on West Homosassa Trail.

Authorities said a Dodge minivan was headed east near Suncoast Parkway when it hit a westbound dump truck that was turning left in front of it.

Minivan driver Crystal Hix Jackson, 50, died in the crash, while her three children, a 16-year-old daughter, 15-year-old daughter and 12-year-old son, were injured, according to authorities.

The dump truck driver was not injured.

Authorities have not released any additional information about the Citrus County crash at this time. The accident is still under investigation.

Commentary

Crashes involving turning commercial trucks often raise serious concerns about right-of-way, visibility, and whether the truck driver had enough time to complete the turn safely. In this case, reports indicate that a dump truck was making a left turn when a minivan traveling in the opposite direction crashed into it. A full investigation should determine whether this was due to driver error, poor visibility or other contributing factors.

One of the most important questions is whether the dump truck driver misjudged the timing of the turn. Left turns across traffic require careful judgment, and large trucks take longer to clear an intersection than passenger vehicles. Did the truck driver fail to yield, or did they believe they had enough time but miscalculated? Reviewing surveillance footage, witness statements and black box data from the truck could help clarify the sequence of events.

Speed is also an important consideration. If the minivan was traveling at or near the speed limit, did the truck driver have enough time to complete the turn safely? If the truck moved too slowly or failed to accelerate properly, that could have contributed to the collision. Investigators should review data from both vehicles to determine whether speed was a factor.

At this stage, there isn’t enough public information to determine exactly what led to this crash. But if authorities focus only on who hit whom without investigating why the truck turned when it did — whether due to misjudgment, visibility issues or road conditions — they risk missing key details. A thorough investigation should take all possible factors into account to ensure a full understanding of what went wrong.