Gratiot, WI — February 17, 2025, Savanna Wood-Kendrick was injured in a truck accident at about 7:20 a.m. on State Highway 11.

Authorities said a semi-truck was headed east on Highway 11 when it crashed into a vehicle that was pulling away from a stop sign.

Savanna R. Wood-Kendrick, 20, was flown to an area hospital for treatment of unspecified injuries, according to authorities. She was driving the vehicle hit by the truck.

The truck driver was not injured.

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

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When I see a crash where a truck hits a vehicle pulling away from a stop sign, my first thought is that people may assume the smaller vehicle is to blame. But in my experience, that assumption isn’t always right. The real question is whether the truck driver had enough time and space to react, and if not, why?

Truck drivers are trained to anticipate potential hazards, especially at intersections. A stop sign doesn’t mean a vehicle will remain stopped indefinitely: drivers should expect that at some point, the other car will enter the roadway. If the truck was traveling too fast, following too closely behind another vehicle or not paying attention, that could explain why the driver wasn’t able to avoid the crash.

At the same time, investigators should look at other factors. Was visibility an issue? Was the stopped vehicle moving unusually slowly due to a mechanical problem or road conditions? Did the truck have a clear lane to maneuver around it? These are the kinds of details that black box data, dashcam footage and witness statements can help clarify.

The key takeaway here is that a crash like this isn’t necessarily as straightforward as it seems. If authorities only look at where the vehicles ended up without digging into the factors leading up to the collision, they might miss critical information about why this wreck really happened.