Lafayette, IN — October 30, 2025, Mark Tompkins was killed and Samuel Casim was injured in a truck accident at approximately 8:00 p.m. on I-65.
According to authorities, 34-year-old Mark Tompkins and his passenger Samuel Casim were traveling in a southbound Audi on Interstate Highway 65 in the vicinity between State Highway 25 and State Highway 43 when the accident took place.
The Audi was allegedly either slowed or stopped in the roadway. Officials indicate that, for as yet unknown reasons, the Audi was rear-ended by an 18-wheeler, causing both vehicles to veer off of the roadway and go down an embankment.
Tompkins reportedly sustained fatal injuries over the course of the accident and was declared deceased at the scene. Casim suffered injuries of unknown severity, reports state, and was transported to a local medical facility by EMS in order to receive necessary treatment.
Additional details pertaining to this incident are not available at this point in time. The investigation is currently ongoing.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
When a passenger vehicle is rear-ended by an 18-wheeler on an interstate, the legal question is often framed as: Why didn’t the truck stop in time? But in this case, the added detail that the Audi was “either slowed or stopped in the roadway” introduces a second, equally important question: Why was the Audi stationary in a high-speed travel lane to begin with?
Those two factors—why the car was stopped, and why the truck couldn’t avoid it—will determine how responsibility is ultimately assigned.
First, let’s look at the truck. Commercial drivers are trained to maintain safe following distances and scan ahead for slow or stopped traffic. On interstates especially, it’s expected that truckers will anticipate and react to developing hazards. That’s why investigators will review the truck’s ECM data, dash cam footage, and braking inputs. If the driver was distracted, fatigued, or speeding, those failures would support a claim of negligence—even if the Audi was stopped.
That said, it’s unusual—and extremely dangerous—for any vehicle to be at a full stop in a travel lane unless there’s a mechanical failure or crash. If the Audi had lost power or was disabled before the impact, questions arise about whether the driver had activated hazard lights, tried to pull onto the shoulder, or called for help. If the vehicle stalled suddenly and couldn’t be moved, that might shift how we think about fault, but it doesn’t remove the need for the truck driver to react appropriately.
The fact that both vehicles went off the road and down an embankment suggests the impact was significant. That further underscores the need to understand how much time the truck driver had to see the Audi and whether evasive action was taken. If the truck maintained full highway speed up to the point of impact, that’s a red flag.
Ultimately, both drivers’ actions—and the decisions made in the seconds before the crash—will determine whether this was a tragic accident or the result of avoidable mistakes.
Key Takeaways:
- The key legal issues are why the Audi was stopped in a travel lane and whether the truck driver had enough time to avoid a collision.
- ECM and dash cam data will help determine the truck’s speed, braking, and driver reaction leading up to the crash.
- Investigators must assess whether the Audi had a mechanical issue and whether proper steps were taken to warn other drivers.
- Even if the Audi was disabled, the truck driver may bear responsibility if distracted, speeding, or following too closely.
- This case depends heavily on physical evidence and data to clarify sequence, visibility, and available reaction time.
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