Dashcam Video Shows SUV Striking Stopped Vehicle During Oklahoma Trooper’s Interstate 40 Traffic Stop

Crash captured during I-40 stop near Yukon

A dash camera video released by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol shows a violent crash during a traffic stop on Interstate 40 near Yukon, when an SUV drifted onto the shoulder and struck a vehicle that had been pulled over. The impact knocked an Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper to the ground and sent debris across the roadside.

The incident occurred on January 18, 2024, during a stop involving Trooper Jesse Gregory. Video shows the trooper positioned at the passenger-side window of the stopped vehicle as a dark SUV approaches from behind, clips the stopped vehicle and then overturns. Moments after the collision, the trooper can be heard on the radio requesting help.

Injuries and investigation status

Authorities said three people were involved: the trooper, the driver of the stopped vehicle and the driver of the striking SUV. All were transported for medical evaluation and were treated and released, with no deaths and no reported life-threatening injuries.

The cause of the crash was not immediately confirmed in public statements, and the investigation was described as ongoing at the time the video circulated. The footage has been used to underscore the risks faced by troopers and motorists on highway shoulders, where reaction time is limited and vehicles travel at high speeds.

Move Over requirements in Oklahoma

Oklahoma law requires drivers approaching stationary vehicles displaying flashing lights on the roadside to move into a lane not adjacent to the stopped vehicle when possible. If a lane change cannot be safely made, drivers are required to slow and proceed with due caution at a safe speed for conditions. The law applies broadly to emergency vehicles, law enforcement, maintenance vehicles and motorists using hazard lights.

• Move over when an adjacent lane change is available and safe.
• If moving over is not possible, reduce speed and pass with due caution.
• The protections apply to a wide range of roadside vehicles displaying flashing lights.

A recurring safety concern for roadside responders

The danger highlighted by the video reflects a wider, long-running challenge for traffic enforcement and emergency response. Oklahoma has conducted enforcement and public-awareness efforts aimed at reducing distracted driving, including initiatives linked to the death of Trooper Nicholas Dees, who was killed on I-40 in Seminole County on January 31, 2015, while working a crash scene.

The dashcam footage shows how quickly a routine stop can become a high-impact crash with little warning for those standing outside a vehicle.

For troopers and other roadside workers, the footage illustrates the practical stakes of compliance with move-over and safe-passing requirements—measures intended to create space and time for drivers and responders alike when a shoulder becomes an active work area.