Tracy, CA — August 2, 2025, one person was killed in a truck accident at about 6 a.m. on Interstate 205/Robert T. Monagan Freeway.

Authorities said a Honda sedan crashed into the back of a semi-truck that was disabled in the right shoulder east of MacArthur Boulevard.

A passenger in the Honda, whose name has not been made public yet, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, according to authorities.

No other injuries were reported.

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

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When people hear that a car rear-ended a semi-truck parked on the shoulder, some may jump to the conclusion that the driver of the car must be to blame. But that’s far from the full story, and not just because the victim in this case wasn’t the driver, but a passenger. The bigger question is whether that truck should have been there in the first place, and if so, whether it was clearly visible and safely stopped.

We’re told the truck was “disabled” on the shoulder, but that single word leaves a lot open to interpretation. Did it break down moments before the crash, or had it been sitting there for an extended period? Did the driver take every step required to alert approaching drivers, like hazard lights, reflective triangles or road flares? We don’t yet know.

And depending on the lighting, weather and visibility conditions at 6 a.m., different legal questions arise. Was it still dark out? Was the trailer hard to see? Many people don't realize that the visibility of a stopped truck can be drastically affected by something as basic as dirty or non-functioning reflectors. A truck doesn’t have to be parked in a travel lane to be dangerous.

To get real answers, we’d need to see what evidence exists beyond the crash scene. Does the truck’s black box show exactly when it came to a stop? Are there dashcam videos or traffic cameras that captured the moments before the crash? Was the truck properly maintained, and if so, what caused it to become “disabled”? If a mechanical failure was involved, that could point to deeper issues with how the truck was maintained, or not maintained.

That’s why it’s so important not to take initial reports at face value. "Disabled" is not a legal shield; it’s an invitation to ask what led to the breakdown, how the driver responded and whether the trucking company had systems in place to prevent these kinds of roadside hazards.

Key Takeaways:

• A truck being “disabled” on the shoulder doesn’t automatically mean the crash was unavoidable.
• Critical questions remain about visibility, warning devices and how long the truck had been stopped.
• Black box data, maintenance records and dashcam footage are essential to determine what really happened.
• Responsibility may lie with the truck driver, the trucking company or even maintenance contractors, depending on the cause of the breakdown.
• Passenger fatalities in crashes like these often point to deeper issues of preventable danger, not just driver error.