Baca County, CO — January 21, 2026, one person was killed in a truck accident at about 11:40 p.m. on U.S. Highway 287 south of Campo.

Authorities said two Peterbilt semi-trucks collided head-on just north of the Oklahoma border, causing one of the trucks to caught fire. The collision also forced a southbound Volvo semi-truck to veer off the road into a barbed wire fence to avoid the wreck.

The driver of the southbound Peterbilt, the one that burned, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, according to authorities. His name has not been made public yet.

No other injuries were reported.

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

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When people hear about a head-on collision between two semi-trucks, the first question that comes to mind is usually the most basic: How did this even happen? That’s especially true when the crash occurs on a rural highway late at night, like this one on U.S. Highway 287 just across the Oklahoma border.

We know from reports that two Peterbilts collided head-on, killing the driver of the southbound truck, whose rig then caught fire. A third semi, a Volvo traveling southbound, had to veer off the road just to avoid the wreck. But we don’t yet know which of the two main trucks crossed the center line, or why.

And that’s the central unanswered question: What caused one of the trucks to end up in the wrong lane? Until that’s clear, it's impossible to know who’s ultimately responsible.

Some might assume the driver who crossed over is to blame, and that might prove true. But I’ve handled too many truck crash cases to take anything at face value. The reality is crashes like this demand a thorough investigation that goes well beyond the scene of the wreck.

The most important next step is gathering hard evidence. That includes the engine control modules (ECMs), which can show speed, brake usage and steering inputs leading up to the crash. If either truck had a forward-facing camera or in-cab dash cam, that footage could make a huge difference. Investigators should also obtain the drivers’ cell phone records to rule out distraction and look into each driver’s work and rest schedule to determine whether fatigue played a role.

Beyond the drivers themselves, there are broader questions about the companies that put them on the road. What kind of training did these drivers receive? Were their records properly vetted? I’ve had cases where a trucking company hired a driver who had been fired from multiple previous jobs, and then turned him loose with little more than a short test drive. That kind of negligence doesn’t show up in crash photos, but it plays a major role in how these disasters unfold.

Until all the data is collected — black box records, video footage, driver logs, phone records — we’re left with more questions than answers. But that doesn’t mean we can’t start asking the right questions now.

Key Takeaways:

• It’s still unclear which truck crossed the center line or why.
• Vital evidence includes black box data, dash cam footage and phone records.
• Company hiring and training practices may come under scrutiny.
• Proper investigation goes beyond the crash scene to uncover root causes.
• Accountability depends on what the evidence reveals, not assumptions.