Widow of fallen deputy settles lawsuit against trucking companies, drivers

Settlement reached in wrongful death lawsuit

MUNCIE, Ind. (WISH) — The widow of Delaware County Deputy Blake Reynolds has reached a settlement in her wrongful death lawsuit, which alleged two trucking companies and their drivers were negligent.

Allison Reynolds filed the lawsuit in Delaware Circuit Court Jan. 30 against Parrish Dedicated Services, Parrish Leasing Inc., and their driver, Teddy Johnson.

The complaint also named A & G Deliveries LLC and its driver, Gregory Holmes.

Court records show a judge dismissed the case June 22 in Delaware County.

Roy Tabor, Allison Reynolds’ attorney, told Indiana’s I-Team the parties reached a settlement, but the details remain confidential.

Indiana’s I-Team cannot obtain details of the settlement because Allison Reynolds sued private entities, not government agencies.

Indiana’s I-Team is seeking responses from attorneys for the trucking companies and drivers.

Cpl. Blake Reynolds was hit and killed Nov. 12 while helping a stranded motorist on I-69 near mile marker 247.

According to the lawsuit, Holmes lost control of his tractor-trailer and stopped in the northbound lane of I-69, “obstructing the right lane of travel and creating a hazard to northbound traffic.”

Corporal Blake Reynolds died on November 12 after police say a semi-truck lost control

Cpl. Reynolds arrived to help Holmes and activated his emergency lights, according to the complaint.

As Reynolds began investigating the scene, tractor-trailer driver Teddy Johnson hit Reynolds’ vehicle and the stationary trailer obstructing the right lane of I-69, the lawsuit says.

Johnson was driving the trailer marked “Prairie Farms,” police said.

Reynolds died from injuries sustained at the scene.

The lawsuit filed by Allison Reynolds alleged the crash resulted from “careless and negligent acts” by Holmes and Johnson, including operating a rig “while fatigued, inattentive and distracted.”

The lawsuit also alleged Holmes failed to remove his trailer from the right lane, 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 Johnson operated at a “speed unreasonable under the circumstances” and failed to yield to emergency or law enforcement vehicles.

Indiana’s I-Team found Johnson was convicted in Oct. 2024 of violating the “move over” law in North Carolina by unlawfully passing an emergency or public safety vehicle.

The trucking companies “owed a duty of care to the motoring public, emergency responders and law enforcement personnel, including Cpl. Reynolds, and breached that duty,” the lawsuit said.

An attorney for Parrish Dedicated Services issued a statement Feb. 6 in response to the lawsuit, on behalf of co-owner Donny Parrish.

“Donny Parrish asked us to let you know that he is continuing to pray for the family of Corporal Reynolds every day since the tragic accident. The company is also continuing to cooperate with the State Police in the ongoing investigation and is unable to comment further on the ongoing investigation or the lawsuit at this time.”

Parrish Dedicated Services, Parrish Leasing Inc. and A & G Deliveries are all located in Fort Wayne, court records show.

Indiana’s I-Team contacted Parrish Dedicated Services in December to ask if they knew Johnson’s driving record when they hired him.

Co-owner Donny Parrish did not answer but provided a statement in 2025:

“My heart continues to ache for the family, and I have prayed for them every day since the tragic accident. 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 been with the company only since January 2025.

“I can say he’s a really, really good driver,” Parrish said. “We have had no issues with him.”

Johnson faces criminal charges related to the crash that killed Cpl. Reynolds.

Gregory Holmes was not criminally charged.

Allison Reynolds sought “damages arising from the wrongful death of Blake Reynolds, for the costs of this action, for interest as allowed by law and all other relief.”

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