Caddo Valley, AR — April 26, 2025, Leonte Popovici was killed following a truck accident at approximately 9:45 p.m. along Interstate Highway 30.

According to authorities, 22-yaer-old Leonte Andrew Popovici was traveling in a westbound Ford Explorer on I.H. 30 in the vicinity northeast of Caddo Valley when the accident took place.

The cause of the accident remains unclear. Officials indicate that, for as yet unknown reasons, a collision took place between the front-end of the Ford and the rear-end of a westbound Freightliner. Popovici reportedly suffered fatal injuries over the course of the accident. No other injuries have been reported. Additional details pertaining to this incident are not available at this point in time. The investigation is currently ongoing.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

In my experience, rear-end collisions involving a passenger vehicle and a commercial truck often point to more than just a lapse in attention or judgment by the driver in the smaller vehicle. When a crash results in someone’s death, especially on a major highway like Interstate 30 at night, the question investigators need to ask is not just what happened, but why the truck was in a position to be struck in the first place—and whether it was visible and operating safely at the time.

Trailers on commercial trucks are required to be equipped with reflective tape, functioning lights, and clearly visible markings. If any of those systems fail—whether due to poor maintenance, damaged equipment, or a lack of proper inspection—the trailer can become nearly invisible to approaching drivers, particularly in low-light conditions. In those cases, what may look like driver error from the outside can turn out to be the result of a completely preventable visibility failure.

And if the Freightliner was operating under a commercial carrier, then the company’s role comes into focus as well. Was the truck fully functional and in compliance with safety regulations? Was the driver fatigued or operating under delivery pressure that may have affected their behavior? These aren’t minor details—they’re often the key to understanding whether a crash like this was avoidable.

From where I sit, a fatal collision with the rear of a commercial truck is never something that should be explained away too quickly. A full investigation must look at everything from the truck’s lighting and placement on the road to the company policies behind its operation. Only then can the right parties be held accountable and those affected by the wreck receive the clarity and closure they deserve.