Oklahoma City, OK — April 11, 2025, a pedestrian was killed in a truck accident at about 9 p.m. on westbound Interstate 40.

Authorities said a pedestrian was hit by a semi-truck just west of Council Road.

The pedestrian, whose name has not been made public yet, died at the scene of the crash, according to authorities.

Authorities have not released any additional information about the Oklahoma County crash at this time. The accident is still under investigation.

Commentary

When a pedestrian is struck and killed by a semi-truck on a major interstate like I-40, the first legal questions that need to be asked are why a pedestrian was in the roadway to begin with, and whether the truck driver had any opportunity to avoid the collision. These cases often come down to a mix of circumstance, visibility and professional responsibility.

Interstates are not designed for pedestrian traffic. That means anytime someone is on foot near a highway like this, it’s already an unusual and high-risk situation. The pedestrian may have been a stranded motorist, someone crossing the road or possibly someone on foot for reasons that haven’t yet been explained. Regardless of why they were there, the law still requires commercial drivers to maintain awareness and respond appropriately to hazards—even unexpected ones.

This crash occurred at around 9 p.m., when lighting and visibility are reduced. That puts added pressure on the truck driver to be alert and scanning the road ahead, especially in darker stretches of the interstate. Investigators should be looking at whether the truck was traveling at a safe speed, whether the driver was using high beams when appropriate and if the pedestrian was visible in the time leading up to the impact.

The truck’s engine control module will be important in evaluating that timeline. It can show how fast the vehicle was moving, whether the brakes were applied and what kind of inputs the driver made in the moments before the crash. That data helps determine whether the driver attempted to avoid the collision or was unaware of the pedestrian’s presence until it was too late.

Dashcam footage, if available, can also play a critical role. It may show exactly where the pedestrian was positioned, how they entered the roadway and how much time the driver had to react. Without that kind of evidence, it becomes much harder to assess whether the driver met the standard of care that’s expected in commercial operation.

While it's true that pedestrians are generally prohibited from walking along interstates, their presence doesn’t automatically remove a driver’s legal obligation to operate safely. The real issue is whether the driver had a chance to avoid the crash and whether they did everything they reasonably could to prevent it. Because when a commercial vehicle is involved in a fatal incident, no matter the circumstances ,the burden of accountability is always higher. The investigation needs to reflect that.