Nez Perce County, ID -- November 21, 2022, an Idaho man was killed after an accident where two trucks crashed head-on along US 12.

Officials said that the accident happened at around 6:00 a.m. about 14 miles outside of Lewiston. It appears that a 26-year-old St. Maries, Idaho man was in a log truck traveling westbound on US 12.

From oncoming lanes, authorities believe that an eastbound Freightliner crossed the center lane and hit the log truck head-on. Due to the collision, the Idaho man sustained fatal injuries. A 50-year-old man and a 32-year-old from the Freightliner were both injured. At this time, the exact cause of the crash is unclear.

Commentary on Idaho Man Truck Accident on US 12 in Nez Perce County

An early morning crossover like this is often a sign that someone was fatigued and dozed off while behind the wheel. While no particular factors have been confirmed here, that can lead people to assume a crash like the one described here is going to be pretty open and shut. In reality, there's almost never a clear-cut commercial truck wreck. A crash involving two of them is only going to present more significant challenges, and victims and families need to be prepared to overcome those challenges.

Let me give an example of what I mean by this. A while back, I handled a similar crash in which an 18-wheeler went over the center line and hit someone head-on. As obvious as the facts seemed, that driver's company refused to take responsibility. Their explanation was that the rainy weather made the truck lose control, and there was no way for the driver to avoid the accident. If that sounds like a pretty lame excuse, that's because it is. But lame or not, the burden of overcoming these blame-shifting tactics falls to the victims and families.

Fortunately, that family had experience truck wreck attorneys on their side who anticipated these tactics and worked to ensure they couldn't find footing. Not only did GPS and ECM data prove the truck was going too fast for conditions, but the maintenance records and a reconstruction from investigators showed the tires were well beyond needing to be replaced. It was only after all of that the company decided to do right by the victim's loved ones.

At the end of the day, there isn't much camaraderie amongst truckers when it's their employers who are doing the talking. That's why a lot of my clients over the years have themselves been truckers harmed by reckless drivers that give the profession a bad reputation. They, too, need allies on their side who can anticipate the obstacles that well stand between them and the resolution they deserve. Experience tells me this crash isn't likely to be an exception.

[jump]