Allen County, IN -- November 17, 2022, Sharon Dugan and Charles Dugan were killed following an accident involving a semi-truck.

Officials said that the accident happened at around 2:24 p.m. along US Highway 24 near the I-469 interchange.

Investigators said that traffic along eastbound US 24 slowed due to construction. 84-year-old Sharon Dugan and 87-year-old Charles Dugan were in an SUV which also slowed for traffic. As they did so, authorities say a semi-truck did not slow down in time, crashing into the back of the SUV.

Due to the collision, both Sharon and Charles Dugan sustained fatal injuries. No other injuries were reported. At this time, no further information is available.

Commentary on Sharon Dugan, Charles Dugan Semi-Truck Accident in Allen County

If the details here are accurate, then it's challenging to envision a scenario in which this truck driver didn't make a huge mistake. A whole line of vehicles slows down for a traffic, but a professional driver with special training and a higher duty of care fails to do so. Could that be due to some one-in-a-million problem like brake failure? Sure, and that's worth investigation. Far more likely, though, is that the driver simply wasn't paying attention to traffic.

As common as that is, however, getting actual evidence is a significant hurdle for victims and families. They should always take steps to ensure they have as much experience as possible telling their side of the story. Otherwise, there could be too much room for insurance and trucking companies to tilt the scales in their favor.

At the end of the day, authorities are not always as thorough or experienced as is required for something as serious as a deadly commercial truck wreck. That's especially true when companies do things like stonewall investigators, send lawyers to crash sites to speak with witnesses and authorities, and in some egregious examples even alter or destroy evidence.

To be clear, I have no particular insight into what happened here or what exactly comes next for those involved. However, I have helped hundreds of people following commercial vehicle accidents, and I have yet to see a fact pattern so seemingly straight-forward that getting help for the victims and families was somehow no big deal. It almost always requires a mountain of evidence and unique legal strategy to resolve. Are those steps being taken here?

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