A box truck driver died Friday after suffering an apparent medical emergency that sent the vehicle careening across all four lanes of Missouri Highway 291 in Independence, slamming into an oncoming car. The other driver escaped without injury, but the truck driver never regained consciousness and was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
According to kshb.com, the Independence Police Department responded around 11:37 a.m. Friday to the crash on MO-291 near Gudgell Road. A 2026 Freightliner box truck was headed north on the highway when its driver had the medical episode, veering to the right and striking a roadway sign before being redirected across the roadway.
The truck then crossed all four lanes directly into the path of a southbound 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. The Malibu driver tried to speed up to avoid the collision, but the box truck struck the car's left rear, the outlet reported.
Driver Was Unconscious at the Scene
The truck driver was found unconscious when officers and first responders arrived. He was transported from the scene to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, per the same report. The Malibu driver was not hurt, and no other injuries were reported in the crash.
As reported by kctv5.com, police attributed the driver's death to the medical emergency itself rather than to injuries sustained in the crash. FOX4KC also reported that officers were called out to what was initially described as a serious injury crash before the driver's death was confirmed.
No Evidence of Negligent Driving, Police Say
Independence police said their preliminary investigation turned up no evidence of negligent driving contributing to the crash, according to the station's report. The crash remains under investigation, and authorities have not released further details on what triggered the driver's medical emergency.
