Ocala, FL — August 13, 2025, two people were injured in a truck accident at about 3:50 p.m. on Interstate 75 near Silver Springs Boulevard/State Road 40.

Authorities said a southbound semi-truck loaded with corn veered into the oncoming lanes after a tire blew. It overturned after crashing into a Honda Civic. Another semi-truck hit the overturned truck, while two others were damaged in a chain-reaction crash.

The two people in the Honda, Georgia residents whose names have not been made public yet, were hospitalized with serious injuries after the crash, according to authorities.

No other injuries were reported.

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

Commentary

When people hear that a semi-truck veered into oncoming lanes after a tire blowout, their first thought is usually: “Was this just a freak accident?” That’s a fair question. But from a legal standpoint, tire blowouts rarely tell the full story. Instead, they raise several unanswered questions, starting with how that tire ended up in a condition where it failed in the first place.

Depending on whether the blown tire was a front, steer or trailer tire, different questions arise. Was it improperly maintained? Was it overloaded? Did the driver hit road debris? Did the tire fail because it was already worn past safe limits? Any one of those factors can shift responsibility from a simple “act of God” to something much more preventable.

Another issue is whether the truck driver had time, or should have had time, to regain control. We don’t yet know the truck’s speed, the lane position before the blowout or how the driver reacted. That’s why crash reconstruction experts typically turn to black box data, dash cam footage and, in some cases, in-cab driver monitoring systems to figure out exactly what happened in the seconds before the crash.

From the report, it sounds like the first semi crossed the median and struck a Honda Civic before overturning. Then another semi hit the overturned truck, and two more got caught in a chain-reaction crash. That’s a lot of moving parts. At a minimum, we’re talking about three truck drivers whose actions need to be evaluated. Were they maintaining safe following distances? Did they have time to brake or avoid the wreckage? Were they speeding? That’s something only a full investigation can answer.

It’s also worth asking what role, if any, the trucking companies might have played. In my experience, companies sometimes cut corners on tire inspections or allow trucks to stay in service longer than they should. I’ve worked on cases where drivers were sent out with vehicles that barely passed inspection, or didn’t pass at all, and the company looked the other way.

To be clear, I’m not saying that’s what happened here. But given how serious this crash was, and how many people and vehicles were involved, it’s not enough to chalk it up to a tire failure and move on. A thorough investigation should examine maintenance records, driver logs, ECM data and training history to determine whether this crash was truly unforeseeable, or if it was the result of preventable mistakes.

Key Takeaways:

• A tire blowout may have triggered this crash, but the root cause likely involves maintenance and oversight questions.
• The actions of at least three truck drivers need to be reviewed through black box and dash cam data.
• Trucking company practices, including inspection procedures and equipment upkeep, could be relevant.
• Determining accountability requires more than a crash scene report; it demands a full investigation.
• People hurt in multi-vehicle truck crashes deserve clarity, not assumptions.