Petersburg, VA — September 28, 2025, one person was injured in a truck accident at about 1:30 p.m. on northbound Interstate 95.

Authorities said a semi-truck loaded with furniture rear-ended another semi-truck near mile marker 52.

One of the drivers was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries after the crash, according to authorities, although it isn't clear which vehicle the driver was in.

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

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When people hear that one 18-wheeler rear-ended another, they may jump to the conclusion that the trailing driver is at fault. That may turn out to be true here, but I’ve learned not to assume anything before the facts are in. Rear-end crashes between trucks often raise more complex questions than most folks realize, especially when the vehicles are hauling heavy cargo, like in this case.

So far, there’s no word on which driver was injured, whether the second truck was stopped or moving or what traffic conditions were like at the time. Without that information, it's hard to tell whether this was a case of inattention, mechanical failure or something else entirely. It’s also unclear whether cargo played any role, either by shifting unexpectedly or by limiting the truck’s braking ability. These are all unanswered questions that matter greatly for determining who, if anyone, failed to uphold their responsibilities.

One of the first steps in sorting this out will be examining what kinds of monitoring or safety systems were in place. Was there dash cam footage showing what the driver could see? Was the truck equipped with automatic emergency braking, and if so, did it engage? The engine control module, essentially the truck’s black box, should tell investigators how fast the truck was going, whether the brakes were applied and what, if anything, failed to respond correctly in the seconds before the crash.

Cell phone records and in-cab cameras can also shed light on whether the driver was distracted. I’ve worked on plenty of cases where ECM data and phone logs told a very different story than what was written up in the crash report. Those tools often make the difference between just blaming the driver and holding a negligent trucking company accountable, especially if they hired someone without proper vetting or training.

Without more facts, we can't say who’s ultimately responsible here. But I can say this: the truth of what happened won’t come from assumptions. It’ll come from evidence, and that means someone needs to be asking the right questions and demanding access to the tools that can answer them.

Key Takeaways:

• It’s unclear whether the lead truck was moving or stopped, which affects how responsibility is assessed.
• Black box data, dash cams and phone records can help determine whether the driver reacted appropriately or was distracted.
• Cargo weight and load conditions may have played a role in braking performance.
• Rear-end truck crashes are often more complex than they appear and require in-depth investigation.
• Accountability depends on evidence, not assumptions, and may extend beyond the driver to the trucking company.