Family of Sheriff’s Deputy killed in roadside accident with semi truck pushing for law changes

The family of a Sheriff’s Deputy killed in a roadside accident with a semi truck is pushing for changes to state and federal law after the tragedy. 

Sheriff’s Deputy Corporal Blake Reynolds died on November 12th when a semi truck driven by Teddy Johnson drifted into the scene of a disabled semi truck as Reynolds was attempting to help the driver on Interstate 69 in Indiana.

“It was just so senseless,” said Melissa Reynolds, Blake’s mother, to WRTV. “That makes it even worse. It didn’t have to happen…. We don’t want his sacrifice to ever be forgotten, and if we can do anything to prevent this from happening to somebody else, we want to take on that fight.”

Now, the family is pushing for a stricter vetting process for individuals looking to obtain their CDL. The family says that Johnson had a “horrible driving record” in his personal vehicle in the years before the crash, and believe that should have prevented him from getting behind the wheel of a commercial vehicle.

From 2004 to 2025, Johnson’s driving record includes 8 speeding tickets, some for excessive speeds; 6 license suspensions, including for Failure to Appear for a driver safety program and Failure to Appear on a speeding infraction; 3 violations for driving without a license; 2 violations for unsafe lane movement. 

“Personal behavior in a personal vehicle translates into what you’re going to do in a commercial vehicle,” said Steve Gold, founder and CEO at 160 Driving Academy. “If you put someone in an 80,000 lb vehicle after they haven’t been safe in their passenger vehicle then bad things for sure are going to happen.”

An Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles spokesperson has assured the public that CDL applicants do undergo a review that looks specifically for suspended or disqualified drivers licenses throughout all states. 

“This includes anyone transferring a CDL from another state. The status is checked at time of issuance, the BMV uses the State Pointer Exchange Service(SPEX) to verify the previous license and compare any license restrictions and endorsements from the previous state. This ensures that we do not issue CDLs to applicants who have been suspended or disqualified in another state.”

“That man shouldn’t have been behind the wheel of a truck at all,” said Bruce Reynolds, father of the Sheriff’s Deputy. “My son did everything he was supposed to do. He parked appropriately on the side of the road to protect the other drivers. He had his lights on. He did everything right. “

“I think as Indiana we’ve got to be tougher,” said Bruce. “We can lead the way in doing better background checks because if you guys can find that information, they can too. They have to have the ability to look at that record and say we’re not giving you a license to drive a 20-40 pound truck.”

No criminal charges have been filed against Johnson for the incident. The exact reason for the crash has not been determined. Johnson had been driving for Parrish Dedicated Services since January 2025. 

“My heart continues to ache for the family, and I have prayed for them every day since the tragic accident,” read the most recent statement from the company. “We are continuing to cooperate with the State Police in the ongoing investigation, and I am unable to comment further at this time.”