Update (October 8, 2025): Authorities have identified the driver killed in this accident as 19-year-old Emma Grace Barnett of Harlan. The accident is still under investigation.

Allen County, IN — October 4, 2025, one person was killed in a truck accident at about 5:30 a.m. on State Highway 37 near Harlan.

Authorities said a car and a flatbed truck collided head-on near Barnett Road, about a mile west of Harlan.

The driver of the car, whose name has not been made public yet, died at the scene of the crash, according to authorities.

The truck driver was not injured, authorities said.

Authorities have not released any additional information about the Allen County crash at this time.

Commentary

When people hear that a car and a flatbed truck collided head-on, killing one driver, their first thought is often: “How could that happen?” It’s a fair question, and one that deserves real answers. Unfortunately, the available reports don’t tell us much about how the crash occurred or why. That’s a problem, because determining what went wrong is the only way to figure out who, if anyone, should be held accountable.

At this point, we don’t know which vehicle crossed into the oncoming lane. Depending on whether the truck or the car drifted, swerved or was pushed into the other’s path, very different legal questions come into play. If the truck crossed over, we’d need to examine what caused that. Was the driver distracted, drowsy or otherwise impaired? Was there a mechanical failure or road hazard that caused the driver to lose control? On the other hand, if the car left its lane, then a completely different set of questions would need to be asked.

In any case, the best way to get to the truth is through hard evidence. That starts with the truck’s engine control module, or ECM, which captures data like speed, braking and steering inputs leading up to a crash. In-cab cameras, if installed, could offer a clear view of the trucker’s actions. Cell phone records might show whether the driver was on a call or sending a text. All of these are standard pieces of evidence in a serious commercial truck crash investigation.

Another layer that often gets overlooked is the role of the trucking company. What kind of hiring practices do they use? Was the driver properly trained and vetted? I’ve handled cases where trucking companies put dangerously underqualified drivers on the road with minimal oversight. One case I handled involved a driver who had been fired from multiple jobs, yet somehow passed a flimsy “evaluation” that barely scratched the surface of real-world driving ability.

Without these kinds of deeper inquiries, we’re left with only a surface-level understanding of the crash. And that’s not good enough, especially when someone lost their life.

Key Takeaways:

• It’s unclear from current reports which vehicle crossed the center line, making the cause of the crash an open question.
• Critical evidence like ECM data, in-cab video and phone records should be reviewed to understand the truck driver’s actions.
• The trucking company’s hiring, training and oversight practices may also be relevant, depending on what the evidence reveals.
• Accountability depends on a thorough investigation, not assumptions based on the outcome alone.
• Only by examining all available evidence can we determine who, if anyone, is legally responsible.