Okmulgee County, OK — March 27, 2025, Harvey Tate was killed after a car accident left him with critical injuries.

Authorities said Harvey Tate was injured in an accident with a semi-truck at an Okmulgee County intersection, but did not offer any more details about the crash.

Harvey Tate, 83, died April 17 after suffering a blood clot while recovering in a rehabilitation center, according to authorities. The clot was discovered on April 11.

Authorities have not released any additional information about the Okmulgee County crash.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When an elderly man is critically injured in a crash involving a semi-truck and dies weeks later from a complication during recovery, the legal focus shifts beyond just the initial collision. It becomes a question of how directly the crash contributed to the outcome, and whether the collision was caused by someone who failed to uphold their duty to operate safely.

According to the limited information available, the incident occurred at an intersection in Okmulgee County and involved a semi-truck. Authorities have not yet released specifics about what led up to the crash, but when an 83-year-old man suffers critical injuries and ultimately passes away from a medical complication during recovery, the starting point for any investigation is determining how avoidable the collision was in the first place.

Intersections are among the most common locations for crashes involving large trucks and passenger vehicles. Whether the truck failed to yield, misjudged a turn or made a lane change without checking for cross-traffic, these kinds of errors can be especially dangerous when the other party is older or more medically vulnerable. The law doesn’t expect drivers to foresee every possible outcome, but it does expect them to operate with care that reflects the size and risk of their vehicle, particularly at intersections where timing and visibility are critical.

Because the injuries didn’t result in immediate death, but rather led to a blood clot during rehabilitation, the case hinges on causation: did the crash set off the chain of events that ultimately led to the victim’s passing? In many cases, the answer is yes. In fact, courts have long recognized that if an injury worsens or leads to fatal complications during treatment or recovery, the party responsible for the initial harm may still be held accountable.

What’s still unclear here is how the crash happened. Investigators should look at traffic signal timing, signage, vehicle positioning and whether either party failed to yield. The semi-truck’s engine control module could provide information about speed and braking at the time of the crash, helping to determine if the driver was acting within the bounds of reasonable care.

In crashes involving older adults, even seemingly survivable injuries can become life-threatening over time. That’s why thorough investigations are important: not just to determine fault, but to understand the full impact of a crash on someone’s life and health. Because when a person doesn’t recover from their injuries, the question isn't just whether the crash was serious: it’s whether it set in motion a loss that could have been prevented.