UPDATE (January 10, 2023): The two men killed in this accident have been identified as 57-year-old David Mosinski and 37-year-old Junier Caballero-Venero.

Investigators now believe that the incident began when a semi-truck driven by Houston man Johan Caballero-Venero lost control on the icy road and jackknifed, blocking the travel lanes. Moments later a chain-reaction crash began.

Mosinski, driving a Chevy pickup, crashed into the semi-trailer and was fatally injured. Junier Caballero-Venero, a passenger in the jackknifed semi, allegedly exited the truck and was fatally struck by one of the vehicles involved in the pileup.

The crash is still under investigation.

Iowa City, IA — January 8, 2023, two people died in a 16-vehicle accident involving several tractor-trailers on Interstate 80 in Iowa City.

Authorities say the incident happened around 5:30 a.m. near mile marker 246 of the interstate, close to the North Dodge Street exit. Investigators believe heavily-iced road conditions may have caused several drivers to lose control and crash, triggering a pileup of 15 vehicles that included several commercial semi-trucks.

Two fatalities and several injuries were reported after the wreck.

The accident remains under investigation. No further information is currently available.

Investigators noted that icy roads were a serious problem in the area at the time of the accident. Winter weather may well have been a key factor in what happened, but in my experience it's best to look at the full context of the accident before deciding it comes down to a single cause.

Maybe a closer examination will find every person did everything they could to safely navigate those dangerous conditions (especially the commercial drivers, who are required to by federal law), but looking into that and ensuring all the possibilities are addressed is important for finding the truth. Large pileup crashes like these are inherently complex and can rarely be attributed to a single factor, so I hope authorities will take the necessary time and care to get the whole story for the people who need it.