Los Angeles, CA — January 15, 2026, one person was killed in a truck accident at about 2 p.m. in a parking lot in the 6600 block of Van Nuys Boulevard.

Authorities said a semi-truck was moving toward the loading dock at a grocery store when it hit a pedestrian in the parking lot in Van Nuys. The man reportedly was laying on the ground at the time.

The pedestrian, a 55-year-old man, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident, according to authorities. His name has not been made public yet.

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

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When people hear that a man died after being run over by a semi-truck in a grocery store parking lot, the first question on most minds is probably the simplest: How could something like that happen? You don’t expect to encounter danger from an 18-wheeler in a store parking lot. And yet, here we are.

The available reports say the truck was moving toward a loading dock when it ran over a man who was already on the ground. What those reports don’t say is just as important as what they do. We don’t yet know why the man was on the ground; was he unhoused and resting, medically incapacitated or had he been struck earlier and was already down before the final impact? Nor is it clear whether the truck driver saw him, should have seen him or had no way of knowing he was there.

Each of those questions demands a closer look. Depending on whether the man was in a blind spot, visible to the driver or in an area with known pedestrian activity, the degree of responsibility could shift significantly. But those are facts we can’t assume; we need evidence to answer them.

That’s where a proper investigation comes in. If the truck was equipped with in-cab cameras, those might show what the driver could see at the time. If the truck had proximity sensors or mirrors adjusted according to company safety policies, those could also provide insight. The truck’s engine control module might reveal the vehicle's speed, braking and gear engagement; useful data for figuring out whether the driver was moving too fast for a parking lot or failed to react in time.

It’s also worth asking what kind of training and policies the trucking company has in place for deliveries in pedestrian-heavy environments. I’ve worked on cases where drivers were given little more than a clipboard and a map, then told to back an 80,000-pound truck through tight spaces with no spotter and no safety checks. That’s not just risky; it’s a recipe for disaster. If the driver in this case wasn’t given the tools to do the job safely, then we may be looking at a failure far bigger than one person behind the wheel.

It’s easy to chalk up a crash like this to a fluke or an unavoidable accident, but from experience, I know that when you pull the thread on these incidents, you often find that someone cut corners, sometimes many someones. The only way to know for sure is to secure all the available evidence and follow where it leads.

Key Takeaways:

• It’s unclear why the pedestrian was on the ground or whether the truck driver had a reasonable opportunity to see him.
• In-cab video, black box data and mirror positioning could help determine whether the driver acted appropriately.
• Investigators should examine the trucking company’s policies for backing or maneuvering in pedestrian areas.
• Responsibility may not rest solely with the driver. Employer practices could also play a role.
• A full accounting depends on evidence, not assumptions.