The Oklahoma Highway Patrol is providing more details about a Monday afternoon crash that killed a worker for the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority and seriously injured another.

 

The accident occurred on I-44 near Miami around 1:15 Monday afternoon, when a semi truck veered off the roadway and struck an O-T-A pickup truck parked on the roadside. O-T-A worker 36-year-old Zachary Rinehart of Vinita, was working outside the truck, picking up debris along the roadside when the accident occurred. He was killed instantly in the crash, while 25-year-old Colton Armstrong of Welch remained inside the vehicle. Armstrong suffered critical injuries and was taken to a Joplin hospital.

 

According to the O-H-P, the driver of the semi had dropped a device in his cab and was attempting to pick it up when he drifted off the roadway, causing the accident. The driver was uninjured in the accident and is cooperating with the investigation.

 

O-H-P officials called the accident a preventable tragedy. Troopers continue to investigate the incident to determine if any charges will be filed in the case.