Cass County, NE — March 30, 2025, David Noonan was killed and another person was injured in a truck accident at about 1:45 p.m. on U.S. Route 34.

Authorities said a Subaru SUV was headed west near 310th Street when it crashed head-on with a semi-truck.

SUV driver David Noonan, 53, of La Vista died at the scene of the crash south of Elmwood, according to authorities.

The truck driver, a 58-year-old Lincoln man, was transported to an area hospital for treatment of minor injuries, authorities said.

Authorities have not released any additional information about the Cass County crash. The accident is still under investigation.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

In any head-on collision between a passenger vehicle and an 18-wheeler, especially one that ends in someone losing their life, the most important legal questions are which vehicle crossed the center line, and what led up to that moment? That’s not something you can determine just by looking at wreckage at the side of the road. It takes evidence, lots of it.

In this particular crash, a Subaru SUV and a semi-truck collided on U.S. Route 34. The SUV’s driver didn’t survive. The truck driver reportedly suffered only minor injuries. That’s not unusual in crashes involving commercial vehicles, which tend to absorb impact better due to their size. But from a legal perspective, surviving the crash doesn’t automatically mean the truck driver wasn’t at fault.

To find out who’s responsible, investigators need to go far beyond the crash scene. That starts with pulling the engine control module from the semi-truck to review its speed, braking behavior and steering inputs before the crash. If the truck drifted over the center line, even briefly, that data can confirm it. Likewise, any dashcam or forward-facing camera footage can help verify what the truck driver actually saw and how much time they had to react.

We also have to ask whether the SUV might have left its lane. If that happened, was it because the driver was distracted, had a medical emergency or had to swerve to avoid something in the road? You’d be surprised how often crash investigators miss those details unless someone specifically looks for them. That includes checking cell phone records, vehicle data and even toxicology results, though those take time to process.

Another issue that can’t be ignored is road design. Rural highways like U.S. Route 34 often have narrow lanes, soft shoulders or poor visibility due to hills and curves. If there’s a history of head-on crashes in that area, it could point to a deeper problem that contributed to this one.

What I’ve learned over the years is that head-on crashes like this are rarely the result of a single, obvious mistake. More often, they’re the end result of several small failures, whether in judgment, training, road conditions or even vehicle maintenance. The only way to get to the truth is by treating the investigation like a puzzle, not a headline.

So before anyone assumes fault, it’s critical to collect all the relevant evidence, ask the right questions and follow the facts wherever they lead. That’s the only way to ensure that the right party is held accountable, and that those affected by the crash aren’t left with more questions than answers.