Nevada City, CA — March 20, 2025, at least one person was injured in a truck accident at about 4 p.m. on State Route 20/Golden Center Freeway.

Authorities said a Honda Accord crashed into a California Department of Transportation safety truck working south of Sacramento Street.

The driver of the Honda, whose name has not been made public yet, suffered major injuries in the crash, according to authorities.

The Caltrans was transported to a local hospital after the crash, but authorities have provided any information about the worker's injuries.

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

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

Crashes involving vehicles and roadside work crews raise a tough but important question: Was enough done to protect the people on the road, and the people working beside it? From what’s been reported, a Honda Accord crashed into a Caltrans safety truck that was on duty near State Route 20. That immediately puts focus on visibility, traffic control and the layout of the work zone.

One of the first things that investigators should determine is whether proper warning signs, cones and buffer zones were in place ahead of the work area. Caltrans trucks are usually equipped with high-visibility markings and impact attenuators, but even the best equipment won’t prevent a crash if approaching drivers don’t have enough time or room to react. Were there signs posted far enough back to alert drivers? Were workers and vehicles placed in a way that gave motorists a chance to adjust?

That said, the driver’s actions can’t be overlooked either. If the Honda came up on a clearly marked work zone and didn’t slow down or move over, that could indicate distraction or reckless driving. But that determination can’t be made from vehicle damage alone. Investigators should review dashcams (if the Caltrans truck was equipped), check for skid marks or signs of braking and obtain the driver’s phone records to see whether distraction played a role.

Another key factor is the layout of the highway at that location. Was there enough space for vehicles to move around the safety truck? Was traffic already slowed due to the work zone, increasing the chances of a sudden stop? These are the kind of real-world conditions that often get overlooked in an initial report but make all the difference in understanding why the crash happened.

Work zone crashes are a growing problem, and when they happen, it's rarely the result of a single decision or mistake. It usually takes a combination of unclear warning systems, poor driver awareness and sometimes unrealistic expectations about how drivers will respond under pressure.

That’s why it’s important not to treat this like just another highway crash. A full investigation has to consider what both parties could see, what options they had to avoid the collision, and whether everything that could be done to prevent the crash was actually done. Without that, we’re not getting the full picture: we’re just guessing.