Gregg County, TX — September 16, 2025, a man was injured due to a truck accident just before 8:45 p.m. along George Richey Road (F.M. 2275).

According to authorities, a 19-year-old man from Gilmer was traveling in an eastbound Kia Spectra on George Richey Road in the vicinity east of the Lou Galosy Way intersection when the accident took place.

Officials indicate that, for as yet unknown reasons, a northbound Freightliner 18-wheeler that had been traveling on a private drive attempted to enter the roadway at an apparently unsafe time, failing to yield the right-of-way to roadway traffic. A collision consequently occurred between the left side of the truck's trailer and the front-end of the Spectra.

The teen reportedly sustained serious injuries over the course of the accident. It does not appear that anyone from the 18-wheeler was hurt. Additional details pertaining to this incident—including the identity of the victim—are not available at this point in time. The investigation is currently ongoing.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When a collision happens because a truck pulls out from a private drive and blocks the path of an oncoming car, the key question is: why didn’t the truck driver wait for a safe opening? An 18-wheeler takes far longer to clear a lane than a passenger car, so any misjudgment about distance or speed can put another driver in an impossible situation.

What we don’t know here is whether the trucker had a clear line of sight before pulling out. Were there visual obstructions, like trees or parked equipment? Did the driver rush the maneuver under time pressure? Or was it a case of simply failing to yield, even when traffic was plainly visible? Each possibility points to a different cause—and possibly a different party responsible.

This is where evidence makes the difference. The truck’s black box can help determine whether the driver accelerated properly or hesitated once already committed to the turn. In-cab cameras, if installed, may confirm whether the driver even looked before entering the roadway. Cell phone records can rule out the possibility of distraction. And if lighting was poor at that hour, the adequacy of the truck’s trailer reflectors and lights should also be reviewed.

From my experience, these “failure to yield” crashes often involve more than just a single bad judgment call. Sometimes, a trucking company puts drivers into unfamiliar rural areas without training them on how to handle wide trailers at narrow intersections. Other times, the company pressures drivers with tight schedules, making them feel they can’t afford to wait for a completely clear roadway. Those factors don’t excuse unsafe behavior, but they do help explain how it comes about.

Until investigators examine those details, all we know is that a truck entered a road when it shouldn’t have. The real answers—whether this was a preventable error, a failure of training, or a combination of both—will only come from a careful review of the evidence.

Key Takeaways:

• The central issue is why the truck entered the roadway when oncoming traffic had the right of way.
• Sightlines, lighting, distraction, or pressure to move quickly could all have contributed.
• Black box data, in-cab video, and phone records are essential to reconstructing the driver’s actions.
• Trucking company practices—training and scheduling—may play a hidden role in these types of crashes.
• A thorough investigation is needed to determine whether the crash was preventable and who should be held accountable.