DELAWARE COUNTY, INDIANA — The family of a Delaware County Sheriff’s deputy killed during a roadside response involving a semi-truck is calling for changes to state and federal CDL vetting rules, saying a truck driver’s personal driving history should weigh more heavily before someone is allowed behind the wheel of a commercial vehicle.

Sheriff’s Deputy Cpl. Blake Reynolds was killed on November 12, 2025, while assisting at the scene of a disabled semi-truck on Interstate 69. Investigators say a semi-truck driven by Teddy Malcom Johnson drifted into the scene as Reynolds was outside his patrol vehicle.

“It was just so senseless,” said Melissa Reynolds, Blake’s mother. “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.”

Family says personal driving record should matter

The Reynolds family says Johnson had a long history of driving issues in his personal vehicle and believes that record should have raised red flags before he obtained and transferred a CDL.

From 2004 to 2025, Johnson’s record reportedly includes:

• 8 speeding tickets, including some for excessive speeds

• 6 license suspensions, including failures to appear for a driver safety program and a speeding infraction

• 3 violations for driving without a license

• 2 unsafe lane movement violations

• A 2024 “move over” law conviction in North Carolina (unlawfully passing an emergency/public safety vehicle)

Records indicate the listed violations were not in a commercial motor vehicle.

“Personal behavior in a personal vehicle translates into what you’re going to do in a commercial vehicle,” said Steve Gold, founder and CEO of 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.”

CDL timeline and what the state says it checks

Despite the violations, Johnson reportedly obtained a Michigan CDL in 2022 and later transferred the CDL to Indiana in December 2024.

An Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles spokesperson said CDL applicants are checked to ensure they are not suspended or disqualified, including across state lines. The agency said it uses the State Pointer Exchange Service (SPEX) at the time of issuance to verify the previous license and compare restrictions and endorsements.

“He did everything right”

Reynolds’ father, Bruce Reynolds, said his son followed protocol during the roadside response.

“That man shouldn’t have been behind the wheel of a truck at all,” Bruce Reynolds said. “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.”

The family says they want lawmakers to strengthen the vetting process so repeated unsafe driving behavior in a personal vehicle can’t be ignored when issuing or transferring CDLs.

No charges yet; investigation continues

No criminal charges have been filed against Johnson, and the exact cause of the crash has not been determined publicly. Johnson had reportedly been driving for Parrish Dedicated Services since January 2025.

In a statement, the company said it continues to cooperate with investigators and did not provide further comment.