Quincy, IL — May 3, 2025, Jeremiah Engle was killed following a truck accident at approximately 5:30 a.m. along Gardner Expressway (State Highway 57).

According to authorities, 28-year-old Jeremiah Engle was traveling in a passenger vehicle on S.H. 57 in the vicinity of County Road 675 when the accident took place.

Details surrounding eh accident remain scarce. Officials indicate that, for as yet unknown reasons, a collision took place between the passenger vehicle and an 18-wheeler with a trailer in tow. Engle reportedly suffered fatal injuries over the course of the accident and was declared deceased at the scene. Additional details pertaining to this incident are not available at this point in time. The investigation is currently ongoing.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When a crash happens at 5:30 in the morning between a passenger vehicle and an 18-wheeler, the first thing I want to know is how visible the truck was and what it was doing at the time of the collision. Early morning hours can be especially dangerous on the road—lighting conditions are inconsistent, fatigue is common, and visibility can be poor. In that environment, even a small mistake can have devastating consequences. But from a legal perspective, the key is identifying whether anyone involved failed to take reasonable steps to prevent those mistakes from turning deadly.

A critical question here is whether the 18-wheeler was moving, slowing down, or stopped when the collision happened. If the truck was stopped or parked—especially if it was in or near a travel lane—then the next thing to look at is how well it was marked. Was it using hazard lights? Were reflective markers and lights on the trailer in working condition? A fully loaded trailer can be all but invisible in low light if those systems aren’t functioning properly. I’ve seen cases where drivers did everything right but still collided with a truck that they had no realistic way to see until it was too late.

Even if the truck was moving, the question of speed, lighting, and maneuvering still matters. Was it traveling at a reasonable speed for the road and time of day? Did it have functioning brake lights and turn signals? Was the driver alert and aware of their surroundings? Commercial drivers are held to a higher standard because they operate massive vehicles with the potential to do enormous harm. That higher standard means they—and the companies that put them on the road—must take extra care, especially in low-visibility hours like early morning.

Getting to the bottom of a crash like this means asking the right questions and refusing to stop at surface-level explanations. Serious wrecks deserve serious investigation, not assumptions. Understanding how the truck was operated, how visible it was, and whether safety measures were in place is essential to uncovering what might have happened. Getting clear answers to these questions is the least that can be done to help those affected find the clarity and closure they deserve.