DELAWARE COUNTY, Ind.— The Delaware County prosecutor has filed criminal charges against a semi-truck driver following the November 2025 death of Cpl. Blake Reynolds.
Teddy Johnson is charged with:
- Count 1: Reckless Homicide, a Level 5 Felony
- Count 2: Involuntary Manslaughter, a Level 5 Felony
- Count 3: Failure to Change Lanes for Authorized Emergency Vehicle, a Level 6 Felony
- Count 4: Reckless operation of a tractor-trailer combination, a Class B Misdemeanor
Cpl. Blake Reynolds died on Nov. 12 while helping a stranded motorist on I-69.
Court documents allege semi-truck driver Teddy Johnson lost control before hitting Reynolds’ patrol car, which had its emergency lights flashing.
Proseuctors say video footage from inside his truck shows Johnson was fatigued and had been awake for 21 hours prior to the crash.
Johnson had long periods of having his eyes closed leading up to the crash, court documents allege.
He was also distracted by his cellphone or a similar electronic device in the moments before the crash, prosecutors said.
"There are occasions depicted in the video where he held the device in his hand and tapped and scrolled on the screen," read charging documents. "These actions took Johnson's attention away from the road in front of him and to whatever he was viewing on the screen of his handheld device."
Johnson was driving 61 mph prior to the crash, but one second or less before impact, Johnson abruptly and unsuccessfully steered to the left but struck Cpl. Reynolds police vehicle.
Video from inside the vehicle shows Johnson failed to move over for the flashing red and blue lights that were clearly visible up ahead.
Following a forensic examination of Johnson's cell phones, Indiana State Police investigators determined Johnson had clicked and scrolled social media applications multiple times during the same time period he had been driving.
Charging documents also outline Johnson's driving record, which WRTV Investigates found has numerous violations for speeding, license suspensions, unsafe lane movement and failure to move over.
PREVIOUS | “Very thorough” investigation underway into crash that killed deputy | Trucking company speaks following crash that killed deputy
On April 27, 2026, troopers with the Indiana State Police executed a sealed arrest warrant on Johnson, took him into custody, and booked him into the Delaware County Jail, according to Prosecutor Eric Hoffman.
WRTV Investigates spoke with Cpl. Reynolds parents, Bruce and Melissa, in February 2026.
WRTV’s Kara Kenney asked them if criminal charges are warranted against Johnson.
“If they choose to file charges, I’ll back that 100 percent,” Bruce Reynolds said. “He’s got to live for the rest of his life, and he took our son’s life because he wasn’t doing what he should have been doing.”
The widow of Cpl. Reynolds filed a wrongful death lawsuit in January, alleging two trucking companies and their drivers were negligent.
Bruce and Melissa Reynolds are pushing for changes to Indiana and federal law following a WRTV Investigation into Johnson’s driving record.
PREVIOUS | “Very thorough” investigation underway into crash that killed deputy | Trucking company speaks following crash that killed deputy
"I appreciate the stories you were doing that nobody else was doing, that kind of investigation,” said Melissa. “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.”
WRTV Investigates used public records from multiple states and found the following in Johnson’s driving record from 2004 to present:
- 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
In the most recent violation, Johnson was convicted in October 2024 for violating the “move over” law in North Carolina, also known as unlawfully passing an emergency or public safety vehicle.
"He had a horrible driving record,” said Bruce Reynolds. “So why is he behind that vehicle?"
Despite a history of more than a dozen driving-related violations, Johnson obtained his Michigan Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) in 2022 and transferred his CDL to Indiana in December 2024.
"That man shouldn’t have been behind the wheel of a truck at all,” said Bruce Reynolds. “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."
Records show Johnson’s violations did not happen in a commercial motor vehicle.
The Reynolds say Indiana needs to do a better job at checking a driver’s history before granting them a CDL.
"I would like our state representatives to pick up this mantle because I know they know we can do better,” said Bruce Reynolds.
They’re pushing lawmakers to create legislation to improve the vetting process for semi-truck drivers.
“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."
Experts WRTV spoke with say it’s largely up to trucking companies to check a driver’s history, not the states.
"If you as a news station can find out this information, they can too," said Bruce. “We should be better than any other states. We hand out these commercial driver’s licenses like they're going out of style."
WRTV Investigates contacted the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles.
A BMV spokesperson said they do look at CDL applicants to make sure they’re not suspended or disqualified in another state.
“The BMV does review driver records for all CDL applicants,” said BMV spokesperson Greg Dunn in an email to WRTV. “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.”
Melissa Reynolds says her greatest fear is that Blake will be forgotten.
She hopes creating a new law will help keep his memory alive and save lives.
“Years from now when we’re gone, I still want his name to be remembered,” said Melissa. “I still want people to say his name."
The Reynolds have set up a scholarship fund at Delta High School in memory of their son, Blake.
You can donate by sending a check to:
DelCom Foundation
9750 N CR 200 E
Muncie, IN 47303
WRTV Investigates contacted Teddy Johnson, but we have not heard from him.
We also contacted the trucking company Johnson worked for, Parrish Dedicated Services, to see if they knew Johnson’s driving record when they hired him.
Co-owner Donny Parrish did not answer that question, but provided a statement.
"My heart continues to ache for the family, and I have prayed for them every day since the tragic accident,” read the statement. “We are continuing to cooperate with the State Police in the ongoing investigation, and I am unable to comment further at this time."
Parrish said Johnson had only been with their company since January 2025.
Reynolds’ wife, Allison Reynolds, filed a lawsuit in Delaware Circuit Court on January 30 against Parrish Dedicated Services, Parrish Leasing Inc., and its driver, Teddy Johnson.
The complaint also names A & G Deliveries LLC and its driver, Gregory Holmes.
According to the lawsuit, Holmes lost control of his tractor-trailer rig and came to a stop in the northbound lane of I-69, “obstructing the right-hand lane of travel and creating a hazard to northbound traffic.”
Corporal Reynolds arrived to help Holmes, and the deputy activated his emergency lights, according to the complaint.
As Cpl. Reynolds began an investigation of the scene, semi-truck driver Teddy Johnson hit Reynolds’ vehicle and the stationary trailer obstructing the right-hand lane of I-69, read the lawsuit.
Johnson was driving the trailer marked "Prairie Farms," police said.
Cpl. Reynolds died as a result of his injuries sustained at the scene.
The lawsuit filed by Allison Reynolds alleges the crash was the result of “careless and negligent acts” by Holmes and Johnson, including but not limited to operating a rig “while fatigued, inattentive and distracted.”
The lawsuit also alleges Gregory Holmes failed to take steps to remove his trailer from the right-hand lane of traffic, failed to call 911 or warn other motorists of the hazard via CB radio, and failed to deploy emergency reflectors or flares.
The complaint also alleges Teddy Johnson operated at a “speed unreasonable under the circumstances” and failed to yield to the presence of emergency or law enforcement vehicles.
