Royalton Township, OH — January 22, 2026, a man was injured due to a two-truck accident just after 5:30 a.m. along U.S. Highway 20.

According to authorities, a 65-year-old man was traveling in an eastbound Kenworth 18-wheeler on U.S. 20 at the State Highway 109 intersection when the accident took place.

The intersection is controlled by a two-way stop for S.H. 109 traffic. Officials indicate that, for as yet unknown reasons, a Freightliner 18-wheeler that had been traveling northbound on S.H. 109 entered the intersection at an apparently unsafe time, failing to yield the right-of-way at a stop sign. A collision consequently occurred between the Freightliner and the Kenworth.

The 65-year-old man reportedly sustained critical injuries as a result of the wreck; he was transported to an area medical facility in order to receive immediate treatment.

Additional details pertaining to this incident—including the identity of the victim—are not available at this point in time. The investigation is currently ongoing.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When a crash happens at a two-way stop intersection involving two 18-wheelers, and one driver is critically injured, the main legal question is whether the vehicle entering the intersection did so lawfully and with adequate awareness of cross traffic. Professional drivers are trained to account for delays in acceleration, limited visibility, and the speed of other vehicles—particularly when they’re pulling across a major highway with no signal protection.

A failure to yield in that context isn’t just a momentary lapse—it’s often the product of either distraction, misjudgment, or false assumptions about right-of-way. Investigators will need to determine not only whether the stop was made, but also whether it was meaningful—that is, did the driver actually wait long enough to make sure the intersection was clear?

Some of the key issues to resolve include:

• Whether the stop sign was clearly visible, and whether sightlines allowed the driver to accurately assess approaching traffic;
• Whether inattention, fatigue, or limited visibility (especially in pre-dawn conditions) played a role;
• Whether black box data shows a full stop, rolling stop, or premature entry;
• Whether GPS or dash cam data can confirm how long the vehicle waited before entering the intersection;
• Whether the trucking company had policies in place to ensure drivers were familiar with the risks of rural stop-controlled crossings.

I’ve handled cases where intersections like these become crash sites again and again—not because they’re inherently dangerous, but because drivers unfamiliar with the area underestimate the speed of highway traffic or assume they’ll be able to clear the roadway in time. That’s a dangerous gamble when two fully loaded commercial trucks are involved.

Key Takeaways:

• The investigation hinges on whether one driver entered the intersection without confirming it was safe to proceed.
• ECM and dash cam data will be critical in evaluating how long the driver paused and whether visibility played a role.
• Time of day and line-of-sight issues may have contributed to poor judgment or delayed reaction.
• Two-way stop intersections demand heightened caution from commercial drivers due to the time and space needed to clear the roadway.
• Responsibility may ultimately rest not just on a single decision, but on whether conditions were properly assessed before that decision was made.