An articulated truck fatally struck Corporal Blake Reynolds, a Delaware County Sheriff's Deputy, as he was assisting a stranded motorist on an interstate highway in Indiana, authorities said.

“This is a heartbreaking loss for our law enforcement family and the entire Delaware County community,” Jeff Stanley, Deputy Sheriff, said in a statement issued Wednesday.

The accident occurred in the early morning

The tragic incident occurred around 3:30 a.m. Wednesday on Interstate 69, after authorities received reports of a disabled vehicle on the roadway.

Reynolds responded to the scene and found a semi-trailer partially stopped on the roadway. According to Sergeant Scott Keegan of the Indiana State Police, the deputy parked his patrol car behind the vehicle and activated the hazard lights to protect the driver.

While Reynolds was outside his patrol car, another truck traveling northbound lost control and crashed into his vehicle and the stopped truck, Keegan reported.

“It was a tragic event,” the sergeant lamented. “Despite emergency efforts, the deputy did not survive his injuries.” The truck driver was hospitalized. The driver of the vehicle that struck the deputy was transported to a local hospital, where he underwent surgery. Authorities have not yet released information about his condition. The Sheriff's Office stated that no further details of the accident will be released “out of respect for the ongoing investigation and the family's privacy.” Reynolds joined the Delaware County Sheriff's Office in 2022, where he quickly distinguished himself through his professionalism and leadership. “His passing represents an immeasurable loss to his family, his brothers and sisters in uniform, and the entire community he proudly served,” said Deputy Chief Stanley.