Lakeville, MN — July 18, 2025, one person was killed in a dump truck accident at about 10:30 a.m. on Dodd Boulevard.

Authorities said a 2012 GMC Sierra was stopped on the shoulder near County Road 70 when it was hit from behind by a northbound 2018 Mack dump truck.

The GMC driver, a 68-year-old man whose name has not been made public yet, died after being transported to an area hospital, according to authorities.

The truck driver was treated at the scene of the crash, authorities said.

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

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When someone gets hit while stopped on the shoulder of the road, people naturally want to know: How does a crash like that even happen? Shouldn’t a professional driver see a stopped vehicle in time to avoid hitting it? These are fair questions, and the answers almost always come down to the one thing we don’t yet have: hard evidence.

At this point, all we know is that a dump truck struck a pickup that was stopped on the shoulder of Dodd Boulevard. That raises two big questions: Why did the truck leave its lane? And was it even safe for the pickup to be stopped there in the first place?

Let’s take the truck’s actions first. Depending on whether it drifted, swerved or couldn’t stop in time, the cause could range from distracted driving to brake failure to a deliberate evasive maneuver. Each of those has a different root cause, and a different party who may bear responsibility. For example, if the dump truck driver was texting or using a dispatch app, phone records would show that. If he wasn’t paying attention, an in-cab camera, if installed, might capture that. And if the truck’s brakes weren’t functioning, engine control module (black box) data can help reconstruct speed, braking and throttle inputs just before the crash.

What’s just as important is how the truck ended up in this situation in the first place. Was the driver properly trained? Had he been on duty too long? Was the company following hiring policies that screen for past violations or medical disqualifications? These are all common pressure points in cases I’ve worked, and you’d be surprised how often employers look the other way to keep a seat filled.

As for the stopped pickup, we don’t yet know why it was on the shoulder. Was it broken down? Was the driver using a phone or checking directions? If the vehicle had hazard lights on, that’s relevant. If it was partially in the lane, that’s relevant too. I’ve seen cases where a vehicle was technically “on the shoulder” but still protruding into the roadway, something that can matter when reconstructing fault.

Bottom line, until those unanswered questions get resolved through real investigation, it’s impossible to say who should be held responsible. But what’s clear is that there’s a death here that deserves more than just a line in a traffic report. The facts need to come out, and that only happens when the right questions get asked and the right data gets pulled.

Key Takeaways:

• A dump truck hit a stopped pickup on the shoulder, but we don’t yet know why the truck left its lane.
• Cell phone records, black box data and dash cams can all help determine whether the truck driver was distracted or the vehicle malfunctioned.
• It’s also unclear why the pickup was stopped; whether it was broken down, pulled over briefly or partially obstructing traffic.
• A proper investigation should evaluate not just the crash, but the truck driver’s training, hours and employer policies.
• Until all that evidence comes in, it’s too early to say who’s at fault, but not too early to demand answers.