Stearns County, TX — February 18, 2025, an Illinois man was killed following a single-truck accident at around 11:30 p.m. on Interstate 94.

According to initial details about the accident, it happened near Sauk Centre off of I-94 East.

Investigators said a 60-year-old man and a 61-year-old woman, both of Joliet, Illinois, were in a Freightliner semi-truck going along the interstate. For reasons not confirmed, the truck ran off the side of the road where it crashed into a ditch. Due to the accident, authorities say the Illinois trucker died.

The woman in the truck reportedly did not have serious injuries. There did not appear to be any other vehicles involved. The incident remains under investigation.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

After a crash like this, I think most people want to understand how something so devastating could happen, especially when no other vehicles were involved. It’s easy to look at a single-truck accident and chalk it up to driver error, but I’ve found that those conclusions can come too quickly. In my experience, there are always deeper questions worth asking to truly understand what happened.

First, did the authorities thoroughly investigate the crash? When a semi-truck leaves the road and crashes without clear cause, it’s important to look closely at every possible factor. Was the driver trying to avoid something in the roadway? Were there any signs of driver fatigue or sudden medical distress? And what about road conditions—was there ice, fog, or a poorly marked curve? These are all details that don’t just show up in a quick report. A thorough investigation should involve scene reconstruction, interviews with the surviving passenger, and a review of weather and roadway data from the time of the crash.

Next, has anyone looked into the possibility that a vehicle defect caused the crash? When you’re dealing with large commercial trucks, mechanical failures can be both sudden and catastrophic. A blown tire, brake failure, or steering issue could easily explain why the truck left the road. Unfortunately, if those systems aren’t examined quickly, crucial evidence can be lost. I’ve seen cases where problems with air brakes or electronic control systems weren’t identified until much later—sometimes only after the vehicle had been towed, repaired, or even scrapped.

Finally, has all the electronic data relating to the crash been collected? Most commercial trucks today have electronic logging devices and event data recorders that capture key information like speed, brake usage, and driver inputs in the moments before a crash. That data can help clarify whether the driver was slowing down, trying to correct course, or if something else went wrong. It can also show how long the truck had been moving before the crash—potentially indicating fatigue if the driver had been on the road for too long. But this data can be overwritten or lost if it’s not retrieved quickly.

So even when a crash involves just one truck, that doesn’t mean the story is simple. The answers lie in the details, and asking the right questions is how we make sure no piece of the puzzle gets overlooked.

Key Takeaways:

• Even single-truck crashes need detailed investigation into road conditions and driver actions.
• Mechanical issues like brake or steering failures should be considered, especially in large commercial vehicles.
• Electronic data from the truck can provide critical insight into what happened before the crash.
• Interviews with surviving passengers and environmental reviews are key to building the full picture.
• Looking beyond the surface ensures those affected get the clearest understanding of what really happened.