UPDATE: New details reveal cause of deadly crash involving OTA worker

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) - An Oklahoma Turnpike Authority worker was killed in a crash involving a semi-truck on I-44 east of Miami in August.

The driver, David Carlson, has been charged with manslaughter after allegedly watching a movie on his phone at the time of the crash.

The victim, Zac Rinehart, was remembered by the community last month. He was a father, husband, and volunteer firefighter in Vinita.

Initial reports suggested that Carlson claimed he dropped something while driving, but court records now indicate he was distracted by a movie on his phone.

The crash scene was described as devastating, with the truck torn apart.

The tragic incident has led to legal action against Carlson, emphasizing the dangers of distracted driving.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KFOR. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KFOR staff before being published.