Coconut Creek, FL — February 25, 2025, one person was killed in a truck accident at about 2 a.m. on southbound Florida's Turnpike/State Road 91.

Authorities said a Toyota RAV4 crashed into the back end of a semi-truck parked in the emergency lane near Exit 67.

The driver of the SUV, a 30-year-old North Miami Beach man whose name has not been made public at this time, died after being transported a local hospital, according to authorities.

Authorities have not released any additional information about the Broward County crash at this time. The accident is still being investigated.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

Anytime a vehicle crashes into the back of a parked semi-truck, the most important question is whether the truck was legally and safely stopped. In this case, reports say the semi was parked in the emergency lane of Florida’s Turnpike, but that doesn’t automatically mean it was there for a legitimate reason. Investigators need to determine whether the truck had a mechanical issue, a legitimate emergency or if the driver simply pulled over in an unsafe location.

Emergency lanes are meant for true emergencies — things like mechanical failures or medical issues — not for routine stops, rest breaks or paperwork. If the truck was parked for a non-emergency reason, that could shift some responsibility onto the truck driver or their employer. Even when a truck has a legitimate reason to stop, it still has to follow federal regulations on using hazard lights and placing reflective triangles to alert oncoming traffic. Investigators should verify whether those precautions were taken.

Visibility is another key issue. A stopped semi-truck at night can be extremely difficult to see, especially if its lights weren’t on or if it was positioned in a way that made it blend into the darkness. If poor visibility played a role, that raises questions about whether the truck was properly marked or whether the road design contributed to the crash.

At this stage, there’s not enough public information to say exactly what happened. But if investigators focus only on the fact that the SUV hit the truck without digging into whether the truck was properly stopped and visible, they could miss critical details that might have prevented this crash.