UPDATE (December 10, 2024): Recent reports identify the man killed in the accident as 59-year-old Paul D. Moore. Additional details about the crash are unavailable.
Fon du Lac County, WI — December 5, 2024, a Waupun man was killed following an 18-wheeler accident at around 3:30 a.m. along Highway 26.
Preliminary details released by authorities say that the crash happened off the corner of Highway 26 and Hickory Road, north of Rosendale and east of Ripon.
According to officials, a 59-year-old Waupun man was in a van going southbound on the highway. It appears a tractor-trailer going northbound somehow crossed left of center, resulting in a collision with the Waupun man’s vehicle.
Due to the collision, the Waupun man sustained fatal injuries. There were no other injuries reported. Right now, the cause of the crash is unclear, and there’s no indication of charges or citations.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
As straight-forward as these statements seem, it’s important to keep a few key things in mind following any serious truck wreck. For one, these details are just preliminary, and there could be extenuating circumstances to consider. Secondly, even seemingly straight-forward accidents need to be handled with care. For example, a common mistake I see investigations make is not keeping the truck in custody to ensure that it can be examined for crucial evidence.
Here’s why that matters. I had a case not long ago where a truck went over the center line during rainy weather. Authorities didn’t release much information, so the family wanted to be sure they weren’t missing anything. The trucking company, meanwhile, wanted to blame the whole thing on the weather. Well, we took steps immediately to get the truck in the hands of an experienced accident reconstructionist.
One thing they recorded was the condition of the truck’s tires. They were worn and well past needing to be replaced. Additionally, they analyzed GPS data from the truck (something authorities never even bothered looking at) and found the truck had been going at unsafe speeds. Our investigations basically showed the truck could have lost control during dry weather, so the rain was more or less insignificant. It was the mistakes of the truck driver and the driver’s employer who ultimately caused the fatal crash.
If authorities are too lax in their efforts, they might let an insurance company, a trucking company, or a wreck yard damage or dispose of vital evidence before victims and families have had a chance to preserve the evidence. That’s why folks shouldn’t just see things as simple or straight-forward. All commercial truck wrecks involve unique hurdles which are best handled as soon as possible by experienced investigators. Otherwise, something crucial could easily slip through the cracks.
call us 
Email Us 
Text us