Two children under the age of six were killed on Friday evening, August 28, 2026, when an 18-wheeler and the vehicle their family was traveling in collided on Interstate 22 in Marshall County, Mississippi, according to a report by Action News 5. The crash happened at about 5:30 p.m. The children’s mother was taken by ambulance to a Memphis hospital, and a man who was in the same vehicle was airlifted for treatment.
What is known about the Interstate 22 crash
The collision occurred on the westbound side of I-22 between the Victoria and Red Banks exits, a local news outlet reported, citing law enforcement. According to that account, preliminary information indicates the semi truck was traveling westbound when it struck a smaller vehicle that was also in the westbound lanes, and it is not known whether that vehicle was moving or stopped at the time of impact. The truck then crossed the median into the eastbound side, tipped over, and rolled onto its side, spilling its load across the highway. One person was reported in critical condition, and the outlet reported that the Marshall County coroner confirmed one of the children was five years old.
A witness told WREG in Memphis that the semi flipped in front of her.
Neither the trucking company nor the driver of the 18-wheeler has been publicly identified. The victims’ names have not been released by officials.
Quick Facts:
- When: Friday, August 28, 2026, about 5:30 p.m.
- Where: I-22 westbound, Marshall County, Mississippi, between the Victoria and Red Banks exits
- Vehicles: An 18-wheeler and a passenger vehicle carrying a family
- Deaths: Two children under the age of six
- Injuries: Two adults hospitalized; one person reported in critical condition
- Investigation: Mississippi Highway Patrol; no cause determined; carrier and driver not publicly identified
Who investigates a fatal 18-wheeler crash, and what do they look for?
The Mississippi Highway Patrol is investigating. In fatal crashes involving commercial trucks, investigators and crash reconstruction experts typically examine far more than the roadway evidence. An 18-wheeler carries its own record of what happened: the engine control module (the truck’s so-called black box) stores speed and braking data, and federally required electronic logging devices record the driver’s hours behind the wheel.
Investigations of this kind commonly look at whether the driver was fatigued or over federal hours-of-service limits, the truck’s maintenance and inspection history, how the load was secured, the carrier’s federal safety record, and any dashcam or surveillance footage from the corridor. Because the truck in this crash reportedly lost its load when it rolled, load weight and securement may be among the questions examined. None of that evidence interprets itself, and none of it should be assumed to point in any particular direction before investigators finish their work.
What are a family’s legal rights after a fatal truck crash?
When a crash involving a commercial truck takes a life, the family’s potential wrongful death claim is governed by state law and, in most cases involving interstate carriers, shaped by federal trucking regulations. Claims of this kind can involve the driver, the trucking company, and sometimes other parties, such as a shipper or a maintenance contractor, depending entirely on what the evidence shows.
Time matters in these cases for one practical reason: evidence preservation. Electronic logging data can be overwritten, vehicles are repaired or salvaged, and camera footage is routinely deleted on short cycles. Attorneys who handle semi truck accident litigation typically send preservation letters to the carrier and its insurers early so that the truck’s data, the driver’s logs, and the company’s records are retained. Families weighing their options can read more about how wrongful death claims work and find answers to common questions in our truck crash FAQ.
Catastrophic truck crashes are a national problem
Crashes like this one are not isolated. Pritzker Hageman attorneys have written extensively about the systemic safety failures behind many of the worst crashes, including lax enforcement and carriers that stay on the road despite poor records, in our analysis of the most dangerous trucking companies in America. Our firm represents families in serious truck crash and wrongful death cases nationwide.
Contact Eric today and find out how you can get compensation and justice
1-888-377-8900 (Toll-Free) | [email protected]
The Pritzker Hageman law firm and our attorneys have been recognized in:
U.S. News & World Report
Pritzker Hageman has been recognized as one of the best law firms for personal injury litigation by U.S. News & World Report every year the award has been given since 2012.
Super Lawyers®, Thomson Reuters
Attorneys at Pritzker Hageman have been awarded the peer selected Super Lawyers distinction every year since 2004.
America’s Top 100 Attorneys®
Lifetime Achievement selection to America’s Top 100 Attorneys®.
Three Time Attorneys of the Year
Pritzker Hageman lawyers have been named Attorneys Of The Year by Minnesota Lawyer three times.