Big rig driver charged with 1st degree murder after fatal crash in Ottawa Co.
Posted on Wednesday, October 8th, 2025 at 12:30 am
OTTAWA COUNTY, OK – On Friday, Oct. 3, a tractor-trailer driver was charged with first-degree murder in relation to a crash that killed an Oklahoma Turnpike Authority worker over the summer, KTUL said.
The crash occurred on Monday, August 18. On that day, the truck driver, David Carlson, was driving on I-44 when he drifted out of his lane and crashed into Zachary Rhinehart and his OTA truck.
Rhinehart immediately died from his injuries at the scene. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol said Rhinehart was picking up trash along the highway when he was struck. The other OTA employee, identified as Colton Armstrong, who was helping him with the task, appeared not to have been hit and was spared from injuries.
Carlson told troopers that prior to the collision, his phone had dropped. He attempted to reach it by pulling on a cord. As a result, he jerked to the right and crashed into Rhinehart’s truck.
OHP later obtained dash camera footage that indicated that an anime series was playing. Carlson confessed that he used the series as “background noise to keep from zoning out.
Carlson’s warrant for his arrest was issued on Friday, Oct. 3.
This information is presented as a way to help keep our community safer and is not meant to be taken as legal advice.However, the Oklahoma truck accident attorneys at the Abel Law Firm have helped clients secure financial compensation for their medical bills, lost wages, and other expenses. If you or someone you love has been injured in an accident involving another vehicle, contact us today for a free consultation.
