Barry Township, MN — April 2, 2025, Gary Thompson was killed in a truck accident at about 11:30 a.m. on State Highway 48 in Pine County.

Authorities said a Ford F-150 was heading west when it lost control on the icy highway and slipped into the path of an eastbound semi-truck. The collision knocked the smaller vehicle off the north side of the road.

Ford driver Gary Eugene Thompson, 67, of Hinckley died in the crash, according to authorities. The truck driver was not injured.

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

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When a pickup truck loses control on an icy highway and collides with an oncoming semi-truck, it’s easy to assume the weather alone caused the crash. But in my experience, that’s rarely the full story. Anytime a commercial vehicle is involved in a fatal crash — even one that begins with another driver losing control — it's important to examine whether the truck driver had any opportunity to respond differently, and whether the conditions were properly accounted for.

According to reports, the Ford F-150 lost control on ice and slid into the path of the semi-truck. That’s a situation every truck driver is trained to anticipate, especially in a state like Minnesota, where icy roads are a part of the job for much of the year. So the question becomes: Was the truck driver operating at a safe speed and with enough caution given the road conditions? Because when roads are slick, the standard of care goes up, not down.

Truckers are expected to reduce speed, increase following distance, and remain alert for exactly this kind of scenario: other vehicles losing traction or drifting into their lane. That doesn’t mean the trucker caused the crash, but it does mean investigators need to look closely at whether the truck's speed and handling matched the conditions. ECM data, dashcam footage and tire marks (if any) will help answer those questions.

It’s also worth considering whether the road itself was properly maintained. If Highway 48 was still icy late into the morning, that may point to delayed or insufficient treatment. While that’s not something a truck driver controls, it is part of the context that matters when reconstructing how and why a crash happened, and whether either party had enough time to react to the danger.

At the end of the day, winter road conditions can turn even routine drives into high-risk situations. But that’s exactly why commercial drivers are held to a higher standard. They’re not just responsible for getting from point A to point B: they’re responsible for anticipating the risks that come with driving a multi-ton vehicle in unpredictable environments. And when a life is lost in a crash like this, the investigation has to look beyond the weather to understand what decisions — by any party — contributed to the outcome.