Kanawha County, WV — March 10, 2025, one person was killed and another person was injured in a truck accident at about 8:30 p.m. on eastbound Interstate 64.

Authorities said a semi-truck merged onto the interstate and pinned a passenger car against the highway wall. The truck, which was loaded with hazardous cargo, veered into a guardrail and overturned, while the car burst into flames after the collision.

The truck driver died in the crash, while the other driver was hospitalized with serious injuries that are not thought to be life-threatening, according to authorities. Their names have not been made public at this point.

Emergency crews are working to offload the material spilled from the truck, but authorities said it was not a threat to the public.

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

Commentary

Crashes involving semi-trucks carrying hazardous materials raise serious concerns about merging safety, cargo risks and whether the truck driver had full control of their vehicle. In this case, reports indicate that a truck merged onto Interstate 64 and pinned a passenger car against the highway wall before crashing into a guardrail and overturning. That raises critical questions about why the truck lost control and whether this collision could have been avoided.

One of the first things investigators should determine is whether the truck driver misjudged their merge. Highway merges can be dangerous, especially when larger vehicles fail to account for the speed and position of other traffic. Did the truck driver fail to check blind spots before merging? Was the passenger car already in a lane that the truck moved into? Reviewing black box data, dashcam footage and potential witness statements will be key to understanding whether this was a case of driver error, improper merging, or an unavoidable situation.

Another major factor is whether the truck's cargo contributed to the severity of the crash. While authorities have stated that the spilled material does not pose a public threat, hazardous cargo can still increase the dangers in a crash, especially if it affects the truck’s handling. Was the load properly secured and balanced? If the cargo was flammable or corrosive, did it play a role in the passenger car catching fire? Investigators should examine cargo records to determine whether the truck was carrying a dangerous or unstable load that made it harder to control.

Road design and conditions should also be considered. Was this a high-speed merge with limited room for error? Were there any visibility issues or traffic slowdowns that may have contributed? Merging onto a busy interstate at night presents additional challenges, and if poor road design played a role, that is something authorities should examine.

At this stage, there isn’t enough public information to determine exactly what led to this crash. But if authorities focus only on who hit whom without investigating why the truck lost control — whether due to driver error, cargo issues or road conditions — they risk missing key details. A thorough investigation should take all factors into account to ensure a complete understanding of what went wrong.