Long Beach, CA — September 17, 2025, one person was killed and three others were injured in a box truck accident at about 11:45 a.m. on State Route 22/East 7th Street.

Authorities said a box truck and a Tesla sedan collided near Pepper Tree Lane. The truck overturned after crashing into a wall.

One man inside the box truck died at the scene of the crash, while two others were hospitalized with critical injuries, according to authorities. Their names have not been made public yet.

The Tesla driver suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the crash, authorities said.

Authorities have not released any additional information about the Los Angeles County crash at this time.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When people read about a crash where a box truck overturns and someone inside dies, the first question that tends to come up is: What exactly caused the collision in the first place? Right now, we know that a Tesla and a box truck collided, that the truck hit a wall and flipped and that the person who died was in the truck, not the Tesla. But how all of that unfolded remains unclear.

From a legal standpoint, everything hinges on what happened in the moments just before the crash. Was the box truck changing lanes? Did the Tesla driver veer into the truck's path? Did one of the vehicles lose control for some reason, say, because of a medical episode, mechanical failure or a distracted driver?

That’s the kind of uncertainty that demands a thorough investigation. One way to get closer to the truth is through the truck’s electronic control module, or ECM. This device, essentially the truck’s black box, can show how fast the vehicle was going, whether the brakes were applied or if the driver made a sudden steering movement. If the truck had in-cab cameras, those could offer visual confirmation of what the driver saw and did. Cell phone records might also tell us if either driver was distracted at the time.

We also have to consider the broader question of whether the box truck driver should have been on the road in the first place. I’ve handled cases where a commercial driver had a history of prior incidents, but the company hiring them didn’t bother to check, or worse, didn’t care. Even a short hiring process, like a 20-minute road test, can give the appearance of compliance while missing glaring red flags.

Depending on whether the truck was in motion or stopped when the Tesla hit it, completely different questions arise. For example, if the truck was stopped in an active lane due to mechanical issues or poor parking, that could significantly change the assignment of fault. On the other hand, if the Tesla hit the truck while trying to pass or merge, that opens up another set of issues.

At this stage, authorities haven’t said who they believe caused the crash, or whether they’ve begun digging into electronic or driver history evidence. Without that, any public conclusion would be premature.

Key Takeaways:

• It’s not yet clear how the Tesla and box truck came to collide or which vehicle was at fault.
• The truck's ECM, dash cams and cell phone records will be critical to understanding what actually happened.
• Depending on whether the truck was moving or stopped, different legal questions come into play.
• The trucking company’s hiring and training practices could also be relevant if driver error contributed to the crash.
• Proper investigation, not guesswork, is the only way to determine who should be held accountable.