Colton Armstrong Critically Injured in I-44 Ottawa County Crash Involving Tractor-Trailer

On the afternoon of August 18, 2025, a serious traffic collision occurred on I-44 eastbound at mile marker 313 in Ottawa County, Oklahoma, involving an Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (OTA) vehicle. According to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, a commercial tractor-trailer drifted off the roadway and struck OTA employee Zachary Rinehart, who was outside his vehicle collecting debris. Rinehart died at the scene.

Inside the parked OTA vehicle was 25-year-old Colton Armstrong of Welch, who sustained critical injuries in the collision. Armstrong was transported to a hospital in Joplin for emergency treatment. The truck driver, who was not injured, reported he had taken his eyes off the road while attempting to retrieve a dropped device.