Pottawatomie County, OK — March 28, 2023, Kyle McCullough was killed due to an alleged 18-wheeler hit-and-run accident at 9:30 p.m. along I-40 outside of Shawnee.

Preliminary details released by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol say that the incident happened as 27-year-old Kyle McCullough was attempting to load a vehicle along the interstate. It appears he had tied down a car when an 18-wheeler somehow hit the tow truck and McCullough. That 18-wheeler then apparently left the scene, but authorities later arrested that driver.

Due to the collision, McCullough succumbed to fatal injuries. It's unclear if anyone else was hurt. Police say that the 18-wheeler driver was arrested for leaving the scene of a fatal accident. At time of reporting, details suggest the driver was released from jail on a $100,000 bond.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

In the blink of an eye, a father, a partner, a son, and a friend to countless others loses his life. In all likelihood, it was due to entirely avoidable circumstances. Folks in the news rightly talked about the importance of the "Move Over" laws many states have to help protect hardworking emergency responders and road workers like Mr. McCullough. That's obviously important, but I can't help thinking this incident involved more than just a truck driver not giving a tow truck enough room.

Put simply, even if a driver didn't move to the next lane over to give the tow truck room, that wouldn't necessarily mean they're going to hit the tow truck and its driver. The news reports I'm seeing indicate the 18-wheeler here made contact with the truck. With the truck being stationary, how does that happen unless the truck driver just isn't paying any attention to the road? That could have easily been a disabled passenger vehicle or someone standing along the shoulder. Move Over law or not, a reasonably prudent driver likely would have been able to avoid this tragedy altogether.

So what was different about this 18-wheeler driver? Why did they leave the scene? Did the cause of the accident have something to do with the reason the driver left the scene, such as impaired driving? Has this truck driver been in trouble for reckless driving in the past? Were there any existing issues an employer was aware of yet did nothing to address?

Ultimately, a man lost his life, and his grieving loved ones deserve answers. Simply seeing a truck driver behind bars may only be the beginning of the story, and that's why it's important investigators waste no time or effort in making sure the family is getting all the facts as soon as possible.

[jump]