Franklin County, GA — September 10, 2025, Reinaldo Negron was killed due to a single-vehicle truck accident shortly before 7:45 a.m. along Interstate Highway 85.

According to authorities, 44-year-old Reinaldo Negron was traveling in a southbound 18-wheeler on I-85 in the vicinity of the Lavonia exit when the accident took place.

Officials indicate that, for as yet unknown reasons, the truck failed to safely maintain it lane of travel; it apparently swerved into the shoulder and crashed into a cable barrier, causing the truck to overturn. Negron reportedly sustained fatal injuries over the course of the accident and was declared deceased at the scene. Additional details pertaining to this incident are not available at this point in time. The investigation is currently ongoing.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When a single-vehicle crash kills a professional truck driver, most people assume it must have been a random accident—maybe the driver dozed off or overcorrected. But in my experience, those surface-level explanations often overlook deeper systemic problems. Just because only one vehicle was involved doesn’t mean only one party bears responsibility.

Right now, we don’t know why this 18-wheeler left the roadway and overturned. That’s a critical gap. Did the driver have a medical emergency? Was he trying to avoid something in the road? Did equipment fail—like a tire blowout or a steering issue? Any of these possibilities could completely change how this crash is understood. But until someone looks at the physical evidence, reviews maintenance records, and downloads the truck’s electronic control module (ECM), those questions stay unanswered.

It’s also worth noting the time of day. This happened just before 7:45 a.m.—early enough that driver fatigue could have played a role, especially if the driver had been on the road for hours before sunrise. That raises questions about his route, his rest schedule, and whether the company was pressuring him to meet a delivery deadline. Was the driver operating under legal hours-of-service rules? Were electronic logging devices (ELDs) in use? These are all questions that don’t get answered without a proper investigation.

And if the truck swerved due to a mechanical failure, then attention shifts to who maintained the vehicle. Was it the driver’s responsibility, or a third-party repair shop? Was the truck roadworthy at the start of the shift, or did someone overlook a known issue? I've handled cases where a missed inspection or a patch-job repair caused a fatal crash days later.

Even a cable barrier—normally designed to prevent crossover accidents—can become deadly if the truck strikes it at the wrong angle or at high speed. Did the design or placement of the barrier contribute to the truck overturning? That’s another engineering question worth exploring.

At this point, there’s a long list of unanswered questions. But that’s exactly why these incidents need more than a police report. They need trained investigators with access to data, records, and real-world experience.

Key Takeaways:

• It’s still unclear why the truck left its lane and overturned; possible factors include fatigue, distraction, mechanical failure, or a medical emergency.
• Critical evidence—like ECM data, maintenance logs, and hours-of-service records—will be necessary to understand what went wrong.
• A single-vehicle crash doesn’t automatically mean the driver alone was at fault; employer practices and equipment issues may also be involved.
• Time of day suggests fatigue or long hours could have played a role, depending on the driver’s schedule and rest compliance.
• A full investigation is essential to determine who—if anyone—failed to prevent this fatal wreck.