Henry County, MO — March 23, 2025, One person was injured after a tractor accident that occurred at around 4:10 A.M. on MO 7.

Authorities are investigating after a tractor accident left one person injured on March 23rd. According to official statements, a Volvo tractor pulling a trailer operated by a 60-year-old man was traveling on MO 7 in the northbound lanes near County Road NW 700, when for unknown reasons the vehicle lost control, causing the tractor to go off road and strike an embankment, causing the vehicle to become airborne.

When emergency personnel arrived on the scene they found that the driver had been seriously injured and he was transported to the hospital for treatment. At this time it is unclear what caused the vehicle to lose control, and so far investigators are still gathering all the details from the crash, however this remains an ongoing investigation, and additional information may be released by officials at a later date.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When a crash involves a commercial vehicle like a tractor-trailer and results in serious injury, most people understandably focus on the immediate aftermath—how the driver is doing and whether the road is safe. But from my perspective, the more pressing concern is whether the investigation will ultimately be able to answer the key questions that determine how and why the crash occurred. In every case I’ve handled involving a serious commercial vehicle accident, three questions have proven to be the most important: Did the authorities thoroughly investigate the crash? Has anyone looked into the possibility that a vehicle defect caused the crash? And has all the electronic data relating to the crash been collected?

Starting with the first question, a thorough investigation by authorities is vital—particularly in cases involving large commercial vehicles. These vehicles operate under strict regulations and can cause significant harm if something goes wrong. From the brief description, it’s clear the tractor-trailer veered off the road and struck an embankment with enough force to go airborne. That raises obvious concerns: Were there any mechanical failures? Was the load properly secured? Did the driver attempt to steer or brake before losing control? Answering those questions requires careful scene documentation, measurements, and in some cases, an accident reconstruction—steps that not all responding agencies are equally equipped to perform.

The second question focuses on vehicle defects. Volvo tractors are built to rigorous standards, but no vehicle is immune to potential mechanical issues. A steering malfunction, brake failure, or electronic stability control issue could all cause a driver to lose control without warning. These issues often don’t leave visible clues at the crash scene. Instead, they require a forensic inspection of the vehicle, sometimes in a lab setting. That means the vehicle must be preserved and not altered or destroyed before experts have a chance to examine it—something that unfortunately doesn’t happen often enough.

Then there’s the third question: Has all the electronic data been collected? Today’s commercial vehicles are equipped with a range of electronic systems, and the most critical among them is the electronic control module (ECM). This data recorder can show how fast the truck was going, whether the brakes were applied, and how the engine was performing in the seconds before the crash. In addition, many trucks are equipped with GPS systems and driver-facing or road-facing cameras, all of which could provide crucial context. And while it may not be the first thing that comes to mind in a commercial crash, cell phone data could also play a role in understanding what was happening in the cab before the crash.

At the end of the day, we can’t make sound legal or safety decisions unless we know what actually caused the crash. And we can’t know that unless all three of these critical questions are asked and answered. For the injured driver and everyone else who shares the road with heavy commercial vehicles, we owe it to them to make sure nothing is overlooked and every stone is turned.