DELAWARE COUNTY, Indiana — The wife of Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputy Cpl. Blake Reynolds, who was killed while assisting a stranded truck driver on Interstate 69, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the two semi-truck drivers involved, along with their employers and the owners of one of the trucks, according to reports.

Reynolds, 31, was killed in the line of duty on Nov. 12, 2025, after responding around 3:30 a.m. to a call about a disabled semi-truck that was partially blocking the northbound lanes of I-69 near mile marker 247, between IN-32 and IN-26 near Yorktown. Authorities said Reynolds pulled in behind the disabled truck to help and was standing outside his patrol vehicle when a second northbound semi-truck — driven by a 39-year-old man from New Haven — lost control and struck Reynolds’ patrol vehicle and the stopped semi.

Life-saving measures were attempted at the scene, but Reynolds died from his injuries. Northbound lanes of I-69 were closed for more than eight hours during the investigation and cleanup before reopening around noon.

Lawsuit alleges both truck drivers were unsafe and distracted

The new wrongful death lawsuit alleges the driver of the semi that had stopped partially in the roadway was operating while fatigued, inattentive, and distracted, traveling at a speed the suit claims was unreasonable for the conditions, and operating in a way that created a hazard while failing to maintain control.

The lawsuit also alleges the driver of the semi that struck the scene was operating while fatigued, inattentive, and distracted, and at an unreasonable speed, while failing to maintain control. It further claims he failed to yield to the presence of emergency or law enforcement vehicles, failed to slow or brake to avoid a collision, failed to warn of his approach, and failed to take evasive action.

Deputy remembered as rising leader

Reynolds joined the sheriff’s office in 2022, was a four-year veteran of the department, and had recently been promoted to corporal. He previously served in the U.S. Army Reserve and had married in June, according to the sheriff’s office.

Indiana State Police have led the investigation and previously said they were working to retrieve footage from the trucks to help determine exactly what happened.

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