Gray County, KS — June 23, 2025, a teenager was injured due to a truck accident shortly before 7:00 p.m. along U.S. Highway 56.

According to authorities, a teenager was traveling in a northbound Dodge Ram pickup truck on State Highway 23 at the U.S. Highway 56 intersection when the accident took place.

Officials indicate that, for as yet unknown reasons, the pickup truck entered the intersection at an apparently unsafe time, failing to yield the right-of-way at a stop sign. A collision consequently took place between the pickup truck and an 18-wheeler that had been traveling westbound on the highway.

The teen driver reportedly sustained injuries of unknown severity as a result of the wreck and was transported to an area medical facility by EMS in order to receive necessary treatment.

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 teenage driver pulls into an intersection and is hit by an 18-wheeler, the most immediate question is why was that decision made—and did the driver have enough information to make a safe choice? Right-of-way laws are clear: vehicles facing a stop sign must yield to cross traffic. But knowing the rule and safely applying it—especially as a young, inexperienced driver—are not the same thing.

At intersections like Highway 23 and U.S. 56, where cross traffic doesn’t stop, timing is everything. A misjudgment by just a few seconds can put a vehicle directly in the path of an oncoming truck with no chance to get out of the way. That’s why it’s important to look beyond the technical violation of failing to yield and understand why the driver misjudged the gap. Was the sun in their eyes? Was their view obstructed by roadside features or another vehicle? Was the truck traveling at an unexpected speed? These are the kinds of questions that should guide the investigation.

The truck’s black box data can provide essential context—showing its speed, braking effort, and throttle position in the final moments before impact. If the truck was moving faster than posted or failed to react in time, that may affect how responsibility is assessed. Even when a smaller vehicle enters an intersection improperly, a professional driver still has a duty to respond appropriately, if possible.

In cases I’ve worked where younger drivers were involved in intersection crashes, the key often comes down to whether they understood what they were seeing—or thought they had more time than they actually did. That doesn’t absolve them of fault, but it does highlight the importance of driver training and road design. Intersections that rely entirely on stop signs, without turn lanes, lighting, or additional warning systems, put a lot of pressure on drivers—especially those without much experience.

Key Takeaways

• The central issue is why the teenage driver entered the intersection without yielding to oncoming traffic and whether they had a clear, unobstructed view.
• Investigators should examine environmental factors—such as sun position, obstructions, or road layout—that could have affected the driver’s judgment.
• The truck’s speed and response should be confirmed using black box data to determine whether evasive action was possible.
• Inexperience may have contributed to the teen driver’s decision-making, but that doesn't excuse the need to examine all contributing factors.
• A thorough reconstruction is needed to determine not just who had the right of way, but whether both parties had the opportunity to avoid the crash.