Steele County, MN — February 18, 2026, Joshua Manges was injured in a truck accident at about 10 p.m. on Interstate 35/Blue Star Memorial Highway.

Authorities said a northbound 2020 Kenworth semi-truck veered off the road and hit a 2007 Freightliner tow truck that was parked on the right shoulder near mile marker 28.

Tow truck driver Joshua David Manges, 41, of Albert Lea was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries after the crash northeast of Ellendale, according to authorities.

The truck driver, a 59-year-old New Mexico man, was injured as well, authorities said.

Authorities have not released any additional information about the Steele County crash at this time. The accident is still under investigation.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When people read about a crash like this, the first question that comes to mind is simple: how does a semi-truck drift off an interstate and slam into a tow truck parked on the shoulder? A tow operator working on the side of the road is exactly the kind of person the law is supposed to protect. So what went wrong here?

According to reports, a northbound Kenworth semi veered off Interstate 35 and struck a parked Freightliner tow truck around 10 p.m. That immediately raises several unanswered questions.

It’s not clear why the semi left its lane. Was the driver distracted? Fatigued? Dealing with a mechanical issue? Did weather or road conditions play a role? We don’t yet know whether the truck was experiencing any steering or braking problems, or whether the driver made a sudden maneuver for some reason.

When a commercial truck leaves the roadway and hits a vehicle on the shoulder, investigators should be looking at hard evidence, not guesses.

First, the truck’s engine control module (ECM), often called the “black box,” can show speed, braking, throttle input and other data in the moments before impact. That information can tell us whether the driver attempted to brake, whether the truck slowed at all and how it was being operated just before it veered right.

Second, distraction has to be ruled out. Was the driver using a cell phone? The only way to answer that is by examining phone records. Many fleets also use inward- and outward-facing dash cameras. If this truck was equipped with them, the footage could clarify whether the driver was alert and in control.

Third, driver fatigue is always a concern in nighttime interstate crashes. At 10 p.m., was this driver within his legal hours-of-service limits? Logbooks, electronic logging device (ELD) data and dispatch records would help determine whether he had been on the road longer than allowed.

There are also questions about what was happening on the shoulder. It’s not clear whether the tow truck had its emergency lights fully activated or whether it was positioned entirely outside the traffic lane. Most professional tow operators take those precautions seriously, but until investigators confirm the details, that remains an open issue.

In my experience, crashes involving parked emergency or service vehicles often come down to a combination of factors. I’ve handled cases where the initial assumption was simple driver error, only for deeper investigation to reveal fatigue pressures from dispatch, poor hiring practices or a history of prior safety violations. Other times, the evidence confirms that the driver alone made a critical mistake. The point is no one can responsibly reach conclusions without examining the data.

Authorities have said the crash is still under investigation. That’s appropriate. But a proper investigation must go beyond measuring skid marks and taking statements. It requires preserving electronic data, securing maintenance records, reviewing the driver’s history and determining whether company policies played any role in putting that truck in that position at that time.

Until those questions are answered, we don’t truly know why this semi left the roadway and struck a tow operator who was simply doing his job.

Key Takeaways

• When a semi-truck veers off the road, the key question is why, and that requires hard evidence, not assumptions.
• Black box data, dash cams, cell phone records and logbooks can reveal whether distraction, fatigue, or mechanical issues played a role.
• It’s not yet clear what conditions existed on the shoulder or whether all safety precautions were in place.
• A thorough investigation must examine both the driver’s actions and the trucking company’s oversight before responsibility can be determined.