Webster County, MO — May 29, 2025, two teens were killed and another was injured in a truck accident at about 9:30 p.m. on U.S. Route 60.

Authorities said a 2008 Mercury Mariner was crossing the highway on Porter Crossing Road east of Rogersville when it was hit by a westbound 1999 Kenworth semi-truck. The SUV rolled several times after the collision.

Two passengers in the Mercury, a 15-year-old girl and a 16-year-old boy, died in the crash, while the driver, a 17-year-old Rogersville girl, was hospitalized with moderate injuries, according to authorities.

The truck driver was not injured, authorities said.

Authorities have not released any additional information about the Webster County crash. The accident is still under investigation.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When people read about a crash like this, where a semi hits a passenger vehicle crossing a highway, the first question that usually comes up is: How did this happen? Followed closely by: Why didn’t someone stop it? The early reports don’t offer much clarity, and that’s a real problem when lives have been lost and families are left looking for answers.

From what’s publicly available, it appears a teen driver was trying to cross U.S. Route 60 when her SUV was hit by a westbound semi. The SUV reportedly rolled several times, killing two of the young passengers and sending the driver to the hospital. But right now, it’s not clear whether the SUV had a stop sign or if cross traffic did. It’s not clear whether the truck had time to react or if something prevented the SUV from clearing the intersection. These are the kinds of unanswered questions that can drastically change who’s responsible and why.

To get to the truth, an investigation needs to go far beyond what’s in the crash report. That means digging into hard evidence; things like dash cam footage, the truck’s ECM (engine control module) and cell phone records. Was the truck speeding? Was the driver distracted? Did the SUV misjudge a gap in traffic or did something obstruct its view? Without answering these questions, we’re left with speculation.

It’s also worth asking what kind of safety measures were in place. Many commercial trucks have in-cab cameras these days; if this one did, that footage could be pivotal. And then there’s the question of visibility: Was the area well lit? Were all lights on the truck working properly? Even small oversights in vehicle maintenance or roadway design can lead to disastrous consequences.

One thing I’ve seen in cases like this is that fault doesn’t always rest on a single pair of shoulders. Sometimes a trucking company hires an inexperienced or unsafe driver. Other times, companies cut corners in training or schedule drivers in ways that leave them exhausted and prone to error. I tried a case where a company let a driver on the road despite multiple firings from previous jobs. That wasn’t just a bad decision; it was a decision that led directly to a crash that should’ve been prevented.

Here, we don’t yet know enough to say who’s ultimately responsible. But the goal of any serious investigation should be to gather the full picture — through technology, records and firsthand interviews — so that accountability doesn’t fall through the cracks.

Key Takeaways:

• It’s unclear whether the SUV or the semi had the right of way; this will be central to determining fault.
• Critical evidence like dash cam video, ECM data and cell phone records must be reviewed to understand what happened.
• The trucking company’s hiring, training and equipment maintenance practices could also be relevant.
• Thorough investigations go beyond crash reports to identify all contributing factors, not just the most obvious ones.
• Responsibility for crashes like this can lie with more than one party; driver behavior, company policies and road design may all play a role.