Update (March 21, 2025): Authorities have identified the driver who was killed in this crash as Jason Hendricks, 49.

Lancaster County, SC — March 19, 2025, one person was killed and another was injured in a truck accident at about 9:25 p.m. on State Highway 5/Rock Hill Highway.

Authorities said a westbound 2000 Freightliner collided head-on with a 2008 Honda minivan near Old Hickory Road.

The driver of the minivan died at the scene of the crash near Van Wyck, while the truck driver was hospitalized with unspecified injuries, according to authorities. Their names have not been made public at this time.

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

Commentary

When a passenger vehicle collides head-on with an 18-wheeler, people often assume the smaller vehicle’s driver must have been at fault. After all, a professional truck driver wouldn’t just drift into oncoming traffic, right? But in my experience, that assumption can be dangerous. A proper investigation needs to go beyond the obvious and ask: How did these two vehicles end up in each other’s path?

For example, was the minivan the one that crossed into the truck’s lane, or did the truck veer into the minivan’s path? Many will assume the minivan was responsible, but that’s not something that should be taken for granted. Fatigue, distraction or even medical emergencies can cause either driver to lose control. The truck’s engine control module (ECM) data, dashcam footage, and cell phone records could provide valuable insight into what really happened.

Beyond that, was there a mechanical failure? Commercial trucks require constant maintenance, and if something like a brake issue or a steering failure occurred, that could explain how the truck ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time. In cases I’ve worked on, poor maintenance has been an overlooked factor in far too many crashes.

And let’s not forget the road itself. This happened at night: was visibility an issue? Were there sharp curves, poor lighting or other road conditions that made it harder for either driver to react? I’ve seen crashes where a dangerous curve and an unmarked intersection played just as big a role as anything the drivers did.

At the end of the day, a crash like this isn’t just about who was in which lane: it’s about understanding why these two vehicles collided. The only way to get those answers is to look beyond the crash scene and examine all the contributing factors. Anything less is just guesswork.