Pedestrian Killed in Hit-and-Run Truck Accident on Ohio Machine Boulevard in Girard, OH
Trumbull County, OH — July 23, 2025, a pedestrian was killed in a hit-and-run truck accident at about 10:30 p.m. on Ohio Machine Drive in Weathersfield Township.
Authorities said a semi-truck hit a pedestrian near Salt Springs Drive and continued driving.

The pedestrian, whose name has not been made public yet, died at the scene of the crash in Girard, according to authorities.
Authorities have not released any additional information about the Trumbull County crash at this time. The accident is still under investigation.
Commentary
When people hear that a pedestrian was killed in a hit-and-run involving a semi-truck, the first questions that come to mind are often the same: How could a professional driver hit someone and just drive away? Did they even know they hit someone? And how do we hold someone accountable when they vanish into the night?
Right now, there’s very little public information about what happened on Ohio Machine Drive. We know a pedestrian was struck and killed. We know the truck didn’t stop. What we don’t know is equally important; and it’s what an investigation needs to focus on.
For instance, did anyone witness the crash or capture it on surveillance or dashcam footage? Depending on lighting and visibility at the time, a truck driver might claim they didn’t see the person. That’s not a valid excuse, but it’s something investigators will want to verify. Black box data from the truck could show whether the driver braked, swerved or just kept going. Cell phone records might reveal if the driver was distracted. If the truck had in-cab cameras, those recordings could be key to confirming whether the driver even looked up from the road.
But first, authorities will need to identify the truck, and that’s not always easy in a hit-and-run. Thankfully, modern technology helps. Traffic cameras, weigh station records and commercial GPS systems can all help narrow the search. Once the truck is located, investigators can start digging into the driver’s history and the carrier’s safety practices. Was this someone who had a pattern of prior violations? Did the company that employed them have a record of looking the other way?
I've worked on cases where companies put drivers on the road who never should have passed a background check. I've also handled hit-and-run truck cases where the black box data told a completely different story from the one the driver gave police. Those aren’t guesses; they’re the result of targeted legal investigation and discovery.
For now, there are far more questions than answers. But one thing is certain: if the right people dig deep enough into the physical, digital and human evidence, the truth is rarely out of reach.
Key Takeaways:
- A thorough investigation must determine whether the driver was aware they hit someone, and what role visibility, distraction or fatigue might have played.
- Identifying the truck is the first priority; once found, its data and history can shed light on the driver’s actions and the company’s safety practices.
- In-cab cameras, ECM data and phone records are critical tools in reconstructing events in hit-and-run truck crashes.
- These cases often reveal failures not just by a driver, but by the companies that hired, trained or supervised them.
- Real accountability comes from uncovering why a driver fled, and who might have enabled that behavior.
“These are essential reads for anyone dealing with the aftermath of a truck wreck”– Attorney Cory Carlson