Harrison County, TX — June 29, 2024, Peter Lentini was killed and Chessa Lentini was injured after an 18-wheeler accident at 12:30 a.m. on I-20.

According to initial investigations, the crash took place on the south end of town at the intersection of U.S. 59/East End Boulevard South and I-20.

Investigators said that 45-year-old Peter "Pete" Lentini, 37-year-old Chessa Lentini, and two children were in a Nissan Pathfinder going westbound along the interstate. Up ahead, there was an 18-wheeler which authorities say had been going southbound on East End Boulevard when the driver mistakenly turned left onto the westbound I-20 off-ramp. Instead of turning around, authorities say the truck driver continued driving the wrong direction down the ramp until it got to main lanes of westbound I-20. The truck attempted to turn right to go westbound. The 18-wheeler then entered the path of the Lentinis' vehicle, and a collision occurred.

As a result of the collision, Pete Lentini was killed. Chessa Lentini reportedly had serious injuries. The children did not appear to have any injuries. Currently, authorities only say they've recommended a citation for the truck driver for driving the wrong way on a one-way road. It's unclear if any other charges are being considered at this time.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

To be clear up front, these are preliminary details that still need to be confirmed. But with everything I'm seeing right now, if true, what the heck was this truck driver thinking? It is mind boggling to me that any halfway experienced driver—let alone a commercial driver—would turn onto an exit ramp, then decide the best course of action is to continue going the wrong way and make a u-turn onto the interstate. It's simply beyond the pale.

But even when the facts of a crash seem obviously egregious, there needs to be as much evidence as possible to paint the picture of what happened, why it happened, and what the conditions surrounding the accident were at the time. The simple reason for this is that trucking companies will look for anything they can point their finger at to shift blame. It's important to know whether or not authorities are getting the evidence necessary to keep everyone honest and to get a just resolution for the victims and families involved. When people just assume authorities are looking into every possible detail, there's a good chance something is going to slip through the cracks.

Let me explain why investigations into a crash like this can be a lot more challenging than a typical crash investigation. For one, evidence needs to explain the actions that led up to the crash, and that can involve more than just the truck driver's decisions. For example, consider the truck driver's alleged decision to continue driving the wrong way to turn onto the interstate. Why did they do that? Is it because they're an inexperienced driver? Do they have a history of making reckless decisions? Does their employer demand drivers cut corners rather than spend time being safe, and they were worried that pulling over and calling for assistance would anger their employer? Oftentimes, these questions can reveal that there were multiple points of failure leading to an accident that a more responsible truck driver or employer could have avoided.

Additionally, a proper investigation needs evidence to paint a clear picture of the area where the crash occurred. I looked at images of this intersection, and while they may not accurately reflect the current status of this area, I saw a lot of construction at the intersection. This can often become a target for trucking company defense teams, as they may try to argue the construction made the area confusing, leading to the driver's accidental wrong turn. There needs to be some kind of documentation, imaging, video, and reconstruction of the area at the time of the crash, including things like lighting and signage. This helps establish a clear understanding of what a driver would have encountered to help determine how a reasonable driver would have behaved in that situation. Then, it can be established how the driver involved in the crash may have deviated from that reasonable behavior.

These are just a few things that go into a proper truck wreck investigation. It can be incredibly complex, and that's why there needs to be certainty of how thorough authorities are being in their investigations. If they lack the tools, experience, or motivation to gather and preserve all of the evidence necessary after a crash like this, it can ultimately let wrongdoers off the hook for their role in someone losing their life. My rule of thumb is this: if authorities are giving answers to the victims and families that clear up their doubts and that provide them with a solid, clear foundation of evidence, then they're doing a good job. But if they're not looking into things like the examples I gave, and if they're leaving folks with unanswered questions, then it's very likely that steps from independent investigators will have to pick up the slack.