Two 18-Wheelers Collide on I-25 Near Mead
A serious crash involving two semi trucks closed I-25 in both directions near Mead, Colorado and Berthoud, Colorado in the early morning hours of May 29, 2025. The conditions of the respective drivers are not currently known, but the investigation by the Colorado State Patrol uncovered that the driver who caused the crash appeared to be drowsy.
The crash occurred at approximately 3:10 a.m. between exit 243 at Mead and southbound exit 250 at Berthoud. According to the Colorado State Patrol, a semi truck carrying office supplies was traveling southbound on I-25 when it swerved to the right side of the highway, struck the barrier, swerved back across I-25 striking the median before going over the median and hitting a tanker truck carrying gasoline before rolling onto its side and blocking both directions of I-25.
The driver of the first semi truck was cited for careless driving causing bodily injury.
What caused such a dramatic crash? While it is presently not known if the driver was asleep or fatigued at the time of the crash, the Colorado State Patrol report noted that he appeared to be drowsy.
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Truck Driver Fatigue Can Cause Crashes
We do not yet know if fatigued driving played a role in the May 29, 2025 crash in Mead. But fatigued driving is one of the most common causes of commercial truck accidents on interstate highways across the United States.
Decades of research has shown that trucker driver fatigue is a common factor in upwards of 40% of truck crashes. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has conducted numerous studies into this factor and has created specific regulations in an effort to reduce the incidence of fatigue-related truck crashes. Other studies have found even higher incidence of fatigued driving with 65% of truck drivers reporting that they often or sometimes feel drowsy while driving and 50% reporting they had fallen asleep while driving in the previous year.
Recognition of this issue and the catastrophic consequences that can result has led the FMCSA to institute hours of service regulations designed to limit the risk of truck driver fatigue.
FMCSA Hours of Service Regulations
To combat truck driver fatigue, the FMCSA has put into place strict hours of service regulations regarding how long a truck driver is permitted to be on duty and driving between rest periods.
The current federal regulations require that a semi truck driver may drive a maximum of 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours of being off duty. They also may not drive after being “on duty” for 14 consecutive hours. Additionally, a truck driver cannot drive more than 60 hours in any seven-day period or 70 hours in any eight-day period.
Truck drivers are required to record their hours of service. Most today use an electronic logging device (ELDs) that record the time a driver spends on duty, driving, and off duty. Truck drivers are subject to roadside inspections when crossing ports of entry and a driver found to have violated these limits will be placed “out of service” and unable to drive until they are well rested. Modern dashcams can also monitor truckers’ eye movements and behaviors alerting them when they appear to be fatigued.
Unfortunately, the pressures many truckers are under to complete deliveries as fast as possible leads some to skirt these rules, alter or obscure their driving time, or otherwise evade the limits. Many are paid pennies on the dollar for hauling loads in interstate commerce or are pressured to make deliveries in unrealistic time frames.
And while the federal regulations prohibit motor carriers from pressuring a driver to violate hours of service regulations, many truckers are in no position to turn down a delivery.
Truck driver fatigue remains a serious and dangerous issue on America’s highways and a significant contributing factor in many commercial truck crashes.
Investigating Truck Driver Fatigue in Your Crash
If you are injured in a semi accident, truck driver fatigue is unfortunately a likely cause. A drowsy trucker at the scene is a glaring red flag, but it will not always be as obvious. This is why you need to find the best truck accident lawyer near you.
Motor carriers, truck drivers, and insurance companies know that a crash caused by fatigue is dangerous for their bottom line. Insurance companies and motor carriers will send rapid response teams to the scene of catastrophic or fatal crashes involving commercial vehicles.
The best truck crash lawyers understand this and are equally prepared to fight to preserve the evidence necessary to hold a fatigued driver or their employer responsible for the life-altering injuries they cause.
Experienced truck crash attorneys will take all necessary steps to ensure that ELD data, dashcam footage, receipts, toll bills, gas tickets and other data are properly preserved and maintained.
The best truck crash attorney also understands the ways this data can be manipulated to obscure bad conduct. Whether it involves deactivating the onboard ELD system allowing “teleportation” of the truck and load across great distances with no apparent driving or the misuse of exceptions to the hours of service regulations, such as improper personal conveyance logging or improper off-duty time.
Accessing available public data on motor carriers and drivers is also a must. When drivers are placed out of service for hours violations, that information is shared with the FMCSA and accessible to truck crash attorneys who know to look for it. This is invaluable information that can establish a motor carrier had a history of skirting hours of service rules to pad their bottom line.
Experienced truck crash lawyers and trucking industry experts have seen the numerous and evolving methods used by desperate drivers to hide hours of service violations.
As a victim of a truck accident, you need lawyers with experience and education in commercial truck accident cases.
Attorneys at the Law Offices of Peter M. Anderson have the experience and education necessary to handle complex truck accident claims. They also have a history of successfully holding negligent truck drivers and trucking companies responsible in serious truck crash cases. Peter M. Anderson is board-certified in truck accident law, one of only two such qualified in the state of Colorado. He can navigate the complex federal regulations applicable to your injury claims. The Law Offices of Peter M. Anderson will fight insurance companies on behalf of truck accident victims.