Sharon Beth Berglund Killed, Daniel Berglund Injured in Semi-Truck Accident in Kandiyohi County, MN
UPDATE (July 18, 2022): Reports identified the driver of Sharon Berglund's vehicle as Daniel Berglund. Daniel Berglund reportedly had non-life-threatening injuries resulting from the crash. Additional details are currently unavailable.
Kandiyohi County, MN -- July 9, 2022, Sharon Berglund was killed and one person was injured due to an accident involving a semi-truck.
Authorities reported that the crash took place at around 10:13 a.m. along Highway 40 at the intersection of County Road 7.
According to officials, 56-year-old Sharon Beth Berglund was in a vehicle traveling eastbound on the highway. At County Road 7, the vehicle crashed with a northbound semi-truck.
Due to the collision, Burgland sustained fatal injuries. The driver of Berglund's vehicle had reportedly non-life-threatening injuries.
Right now, additional details about the crash are unavailable.
Commentary on Sharon Beth Berglund Truck Accident in Kandiyohi County
To be rather blunt, it's difficult to envision a scenario where this happens without the truck driver screwing up big time. Let me be clear, though, that I don't know anything more about this crash beyond what reports say. Additionally, the images I can find of this intersection are rather old, and things may have changed in recent years. But what I did find clearly shows that traffic on County Road 7 has a stop sign. That suggests that the vehicle the victim was in had the right-of-way. If that's true, then what exactly went wrong here?
Something I say a lot on this blog is that people shouldn't jump to conclusions. If, for example, the truck did have a stop sign, simply blaming the driver without a proper investigation wouldn't get a grieving family the help they deserve. For one, it's possible for circumstances beyond a truck driver's control to cause a serious crash. Likely or not, ignoring those possibilities would be irresponsible. Beyond that, however, even if the truck driver's mistakes did cause the crash, knowing the facts only goes as far as having the facts.
Here's what I mean by that. Trucking and insurance companies always go to great lengths to avoid responsibility. Without clear evidence and legal strategy, those barriers can prove insurmountable. Take for example a situation I handled a while back where an 18-wheeler cut off someone while crossing the highway, leading to a deadly collision. That company claimed that the victim's death was actually the result of the victim speeding and not using their seatbelt. While it was pretty darn obvious this was just a blame-shifting tactic, it was up to us to prove as much.
A few key details from our investigations helped ensure that ridiculous defense had no ground to stand on. First of all, a clear examination of the scene and bring to light the victim's speedometer which froze upon impact proved they couldn't have been speeding at the time. Additionally, numerous rescue workers testified they actually had to cut through the victim's seatbelt just to get them out of the wreckage. And to drive it all home, our investigations found the truck's reflective tape on its trailer was so dirty it would have been practically invisible at the time of the wreck.
Only after those extensive measures were we able to get that company to cooperate--even if it was begrudgingly. That's why I always tell people about the importance of taking similar steps following any serious vehicle wreck. Like I said, while I can't say for sure what happened here, the red flags are undeniably similar to the countless situations I've handled where a truck driver screwed up big time. But making sure the evidence speaks for itself is the best way to get victims and families the help and the answers they deserve.
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