Chicago, IL — February 25, 2025, two people were injured in a truck accident at about 11 p.m. on northbound Interstate 90/Kennedy Expressway.

Authorities said a semi-truck spilled a load of steel pipes onto the highway. The pipes hit a 2017 Toyota Camry and a 2020 Toyota Camry.

Two drivers were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, according to authorities. Their names have not been made public.

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

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When I see that a semi-truck spilled a load of steel pipes onto the highway, my first thought is that something went seriously wrong long before the crash. Cargo doesn’t just come loose on its own: either it wasn’t secured properly, the restraints failed or the driver made a maneuver that caused the load to shift. The key question here is which of those failures led to this wreck.

Cargo securement is one of the most basic safety requirements for commercial trucking. Federal regulations lay out strict guidelines for how heavy loads — especially steel pipes — must be secured to prevent shifting or falling. Investigators should be looking at whether the load was strapped down correctly, if the restraints were inspected before the trip and whether the driver checked the cargo as required. If any of those steps were skipped, then someone — whether the driver, the trucking company or whoever loaded the truck — may be responsible.

Another issue worth considering is how the pipes came loose. Did the driver take a turn too fast or make a sudden maneuver that caused the load to shift? Did the restraints fail due to wear or improper use? Investigators should be reviewing black box data, dashcam footage and physical evidence from the scene to understand exactly what led to this cargo spill.

At this point, we don’t know whether this was due to driver error, improper loading, or equipment failure. But one thing is clear: cargo that isn’t secured correctly is a disaster waiting to happen. If authorities only look at the crash scene without digging deeper into how the load was handled, they could miss the real cause of this wreck.