“If trailer didn’t have lights it was running illegal. Truck driver asleep maybe? Distracted by phone or in cab electronics?”
When I drove long haul I did a lot of night driving.
Very possible the driver was tired and looking for a place to park. Good luck at that time of night.
Driver could have just started driving to make a 3 or 4 am delivery and hadn’t made sure he was completely awake. I saw that too much for comfort.
Don’t get me started on cell phones.
WORST single thing to ever happen to drivers was the cell phone.
Whatever the cause, he paid for his mistake with his life. The one thing you only get one of.
I saw a wreck two weeks ago where a small pickup hit a trucks trailer crossing a four lane divided highway.The driver in the small pickup was going way over the speed limit when he blew by me. I was about a quarter mile behind when it happened. The pickup driver didn’t react until the last second. I saw smoke from his tires before the collision. He wasn’t paying attention to anything. The only thing the brakes did for him was keep him from running under the trailer. He hit the rear wheels, had to be life flighted out. All I could think was, he was playing with his phone. The 18 wheeler wasn’t at fault