Montgomery County, NY — August 13, 2025, Elton Brownell was killed due to a truck accident at approximately 9:00 a.m. along Old Trail Road.

According to authorities, 90-year-old Elton Brownell was traveling in a Subaru on Old Trail Road at the State Highway 30A intersection when the accident took place.

The intersection is apparently controlled by a two-way stop for Old Trail Road traffic; cross-traffic on the highway does not have to stop. Officials indicate that, for as yet unknown reasons, the Subaru allegedly attempted to enter the highway at an apparently unsafe time. A collision consequently took place between the Subaru and a Freightliner 18-wheeler.

Brownell reportedly sustained critical injuries as a result of the wreck; he was flown to an area medical facility by EMS in order to receive immediate treatment. However, he was ultimately unable to overcome the severity of his injuries, having there been declared deceased. Additional details pertaining to this incident are not available at this point in time. The investigation is currently ongoing.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

Crashes at two-way stop intersections almost always come down to the same critical question: Did the stopped driver misjudge the gap, or did the through-traffic driver have an opportunity to avoid the collision? The initial reports here suggest the Subaru entered the highway when it wasn’t safe to do so—but that doesn’t close the book on what really happened.

In my experience, when a passenger vehicle collides with an 18-wheeler on a major highway, investigators often stop the inquiry too soon by assuming the smaller vehicle “pulled out in front of the truck.” That may be accurate, but it leaves out important context. For example, how fast was the truck traveling as it approached the intersection? Was the driver attentive to cross-traffic, or distracted by a phone? Did the truck have time and space to brake or swerve? Those questions can only be answered with hard evidence—ECM downloads for speed and brake use, cell phone records, and any available dash cam or traffic camera footage.

The dynamics of a truck hitting a passenger car also deserve close examination. A Freightliner 18-wheeler carries enormous momentum; if the truck was over the speed limit, even by a modest margin, that could have eliminated the margin of safety the Subaru’s driver thought he had. Road design plays a role too—was the intersection well-marked, and could an older driver accurately judge how fast cross-traffic was coming?

It’s also worth looking at the trucking company’s role. If the driver was fatigued, poorly trained, or under pressure to maintain an unrealistic schedule, those factors may have contributed to his ability—or inability—to avoid the wreck. I’ve litigated cases where driver fatigue turned a near-miss into a collision because the trucker’s reaction time was slowed by just a second or two.

While the reports lean toward one narrative, the real answer will come only after investigators piece together electronic data, witness accounts, and roadway factors. That’s the difference between an assumption and a full accounting of responsibility.

Key Takeaways

• The key issue is whether the Subaru misjudged the gap, or whether the truck driver could have avoided the collision.
• ECM data, dash cams, and phone records are critical to reconstructing the truck driver’s actions.
• Truck speed, driver attentiveness, and roadway design all influence how safe—or unsafe—an intersection crossing really is.
• Company oversight of training, scheduling, and fatigue management may have contributed to the outcome.
• A full investigation is needed before drawing conclusions about fault.