Baltimore County, MD — February 23, 2025, Persia Ransford and Luis Del Cid were injured in a truck accident at about 2:50 a.m. on Interstate 95.

Authorities said a 2008 Mercury Mountaineer was traveling south when it crashed into the back of a 2004 semi-truck. A 2016 Toyota Corolla subsequently rear-ended the Mercury.

Mercury driver Persia Samina Ransford, 27, and Luis Del Cid, 53, were transported to a local hospital for treatment of undisclosed injuries, according to authorities.

No other injuries were reported.

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

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

Rear-end crashes involving a passenger vehicle and a semi-truck often seem straightforward: most people assume the smaller vehicle’s driver is at fault. But in my experience, these cases can be more complicated than they appear. The key question here is why the Mercury Mountaineer crashed into the back of the semi-truck in the first place.

One of the first things investigators should determine is whether the truck was moving at the time of impact. If it was stopped or moving slowly in a travel lane, that’s a critical detail. Trucks that break down or stop for any reason on the highway create major hazards, especially at night when visibility is lower. If the truck driver failed to use hazard lights, reflective triangles or other warning signals, that could have played a role in the crash.

Even if the truck was moving, visibility still needs to be considered. Was the trailer equipped with proper reflective markings? Were its taillights and brake lights working? I’ve seen cases where trailers lacked the required visibility markings, making them nearly impossible to see at night. That’s something that should absolutely be investigated here.

At this stage, there’s not enough information to say exactly what caused this crash. But if investigators only focus on the fact that a passenger vehicle rear-ended a semi, they may overlook critical details about visibility, stopping distance and whether the truck driver contributed to the wreck. A full investigation should consider every factor: not just the most obvious one.