Statesboro, GA — December 10, 2025, Mary Lastinger was killed in a truck accident at about 8:40 a.m. on East Parish Street/U.S. Route 301.

Authorities said an eastbound commercial truck collided with an adult tricycle that was crossing the road near North Main Street.

The cyclist, 57-year-old Mary Lastinger, died from injuries suffered in the crash, according to authorities.

No other injuries were reported.

Authorities have not released any additional information about the Bulloch County crash.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When a commercial truck collides with someone on a bicycle — or in this case, an adult tricycle — most people’s first thought is probably the same: How does something like this even happen? A massive vehicle, on a clear road in daylight hours, crosses paths with a slow-moving cyclist. Why couldn’t the truck stop in time? Was the driver distracted? Did they even see her?

Right now, those questions are all still unanswered. Authorities haven’t said whether the truck was turning, changing lanes or simply driving straight when it struck the cyclist. And that lack of detail makes it difficult for anyone, especially the victim’s family, to understand what really went wrong.

This is where a proper investigation matters. For starters, investigators need to secure the truck’s electronic control module, the “black box,” which can show how fast the truck was going, when the brakes were applied and whether the driver tried to avoid the crash. Was the truck slowing down? Did the driver swerve at the last second? Or was there no reaction at all?

That last possibility raises some serious concerns. If a driver doesn't react to a cyclist in the road ahead, it could point to distracted driving. Many trucks now have in-cab cameras that show where the driver was looking or whether they were on the phone. But unless someone gets the footage and cell phone records, we’ll never know for sure.

And that’s just the beginning. It's also worth asking whether the driver had a clear view of the intersection. Was their line of sight blocked by sun glare, poorly parked vehicles or even the truck’s own blind spots? If so, was that a result of bad road design, or could it have been avoided with a safer route or more attentive driving?

In the end, the key point here is that we don’t yet know the full story. And unless someone takes steps to uncover the evidence, we may never get it. That’s not just a legal issue. It’s about accountability. When a fatal crash happens under unclear circumstances, it’s not enough to rely on assumptions. The evidence has to do the talking.

Key Takeaways:

• It’s unclear from current reports how the truck and tricycle came to collide. Critical facts like whether the truck was turning or the cyclist had the right of way are still missing.
• Black box data, dash cam footage and cell phone records are essential to determining if the driver was distracted or failed to respond appropriately.
• Visibility at the crash location, including possible blind spots or obstructions, must also be considered as part of a thorough investigation.
• Understanding what really happened requires gathering and analyzing all available evidence; not just relying on assumptions about who’s at fault.
• True accountability can only follow a complete, fact-based reconstruction of the crash.