Des Plaines, IL — December 6, 2025, Laurie Jensen was killed in a mail truck accident at about 10 a.m. in the 1700 block of Mannheim Road.

Authorities said a U.S. Postal Service truck was heading south when it crossed into the northbound lanes and collided with a 2005 Chrysler Sebring.

Chrysler driver Laurie Jensen, 65, of Mount Prospect died after being taken to a nearby hospital, according to authorities.

The mail truck driver, who suffered unspecified injuries, told investigators he temporarily lost control of the truck before the accident, authorities said. He was cited for improper lane usage.

Authorities have not released any additional information about the Cook County crash at this time.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When people read about a mail truck veering into oncoming traffic and causing a deadly collision, their first reaction is usually disbelief: How does a professional driver end up crossing the center line in broad daylight? That’s the right question to ask, and it’s the one that has to be answered if there's going to be any real accountability.

The driver reportedly told investigators that he “temporarily lost control” of the vehicle. That’s a start, but not much of one. What exactly caused that loss of control? Was the driver distracted? Was there a mechanical failure? Did he suffer a medical episode? Until those specifics are pinned down, we’re left with a vague explanation and no clear picture of what went wrong.

Getting to the truth requires more than taking a driver’s word for it. Investigators — and more importantly, the victim’s family — need hard evidence. That could include cell phone records, dash cam footage (if the vehicle had one) and data from the truck’s engine control module. This black box device can show speed, braking and steering inputs in the seconds before the crash, which might help establish whether the truck drifted slowly or swerved suddenly.

We also don’t yet know whether the USPS truck was equipped with in-cab cameras. Many commercial vehicles are these days, and that footage, if it exists, could be key. It might show whether the driver was reaching for something, nodding off or reacting to some outside stimulus.

The other layer here is the Postal Service’s role. Even though it's a government agency, the USPS has to vet and monitor its drivers just like any private company. Was this driver properly trained? Were there any red flags in his driving history? Was the truck in good working order? These are all open questions, and without answers, it's impossible to determine whether this crash was an isolated mistake or the result of deeper problems in the operation.

I’ve handled cases where a driver’s error was just one part of the story. In some of those cases, a deeper look showed that the company never should have hired the driver in the first place, or failed to pull him off the road after repeated issues. That’s why surface-level explanations like “I lost control” don’t cut it. The real story tends to emerge only when someone forces it into the open through a thorough and independent investigation.

Key Takeaways:

• A truck crossing into oncoming traffic raises serious questions about how and why control was lost.
• Evidence like ECM data, dash cam footage and cell phone records are critical to understanding the cause.
• The driver’s history and the vehicle’s maintenance record should be closely reviewed.
• Responsibility may extend beyond the driver to the agency or company that put him on the road.
• Real accountability depends on uncovering the full story, not just accepting vague statements.