Terry Schultz Killed in Truck Accident on U.S. 36 in Washington Twp., IN

Basic Facts

Crash date: February 18, 2026

Crash location: U.S. Highway 36 at the County Road 525 intersection in Washington Township, Hendricks County, Indiana

People involved:

• Terry Schultz, 64
• Unidentified man (truck driver)
• Unidentified person (Chrysler Sebring driver)

Do authorities suspect alcohol played a role in this crash? unknown

Did authorities recommend criminal charges? yes

Do authorities suspect a product defect caused the crash? unknown

Accident Report

February 18, 2026, Terry Schultz lost his life due to a truck accident at approximately 12:00 noon along U.S. Highway 36.

According to authorities, 64-year- old Terry Schultz was traveling in a northbound Chevrolet pickup truck on County Road 525 at the U.S. Highway 36 intersection when the accident took place. Officials indicate that an eastbound 18-wheeler entered the intersection against a red light. A collision consequently occurred between the pickup truck and the 18-wheeler. The pickup truck was then involved in a secondary collision with a Chrysler Sebring that had been at a stop at the intersection. Schultz reportedly sustained fatal injuries over the course of the accident.

Reports state that several things contributed to this collision. The man who had been behind the wheel of the 18-wheeler had apparently only been driving trucks for approximately two or three months, so he was still inexperienced. He purportedly did not start to brake until he was approximately 100 feet from the intersection. The load of bird seed that had been in the trailer was allegedly loaded incorrectly, so it slid toward the front of the trailer as the brakes were applied, making it even more difficult for the truck to stop in time, according to reports. The news also noted that, once it was clear the truck was not going to be able to stop before entering the intersection, the driver apparently floored the gas in an attempt to make it through before any cross traffic.

Authorities have recommended charges of Reckless Homicide and Reckless Driving against the truck driver. Additional details pertaining to this incident are not available at this point in time. The investigation is currently ongoing.

How Did This Accident Occur?

This is a prime example of how complex truck accidents can be. There were several factors that were at play in this wreck, not all of which might have been apparent on the surface. To be completely clear, I don’t know more about this specific crash than anyone else outside of the investigation. I’ve just been in this line of business for many years. As such, there are several things that spark my interest.

As of right now, we don’t know what was going on in the cab of that truck in the moments leading up to the accident. Was the driver distracted by electronics like a cell phone or the radio? He was a new driver, so he may have been unfamiliar with the area. The GPS, though a useful tool, could also have been a distraction. Heck, it was noon, so it could have been he glanced down to take a bite of his lunch only to look up and realize too late that the light had turned. Hopefully, in-cab cameras were able to make a record. However, this wreck has more to it than the fact that the driver ran a red light.

News reports noted that the birdseed in the truck’s trailer was apparently loaded in a way that made it slide as the truck was braking. Here’s the thing; there are standards and regulations for loading trailers for a reason. My question is, who was in charge of loading that bird seed and decided it was okay to cut corners at the price of safety? Whoever it was, they likely hold a portion of the responsibility for what happened in this crash.

Personally, I also have questions about the company with which this truck is affiliated. I hope authorities are looking into their hiring practices and training regimen. It’s clear they put an inexperienced and possibly underqualified person behind the wheel of that truck. As such, they, too, are partially responsible for the outcome.

On top of that, I wonder what condition the truck’s brakes were in. If the company was making poor decisions with their hiring and training practices, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the same shoddy work with their fleet maintenance. Are they skipping out on regular inspections and mechanical maintenance that could be compromising the safety of their trucks?

What this all boils down to is that there were probably people whose decisions played a role in this wreck even though they were not physically at the accident scene. Hopefully whoever is investigating—whether its just the authorities or also a third party—is being thorough enough to dig deeper than the obvious, surface level evidence at the accident scene. That way, everyone who had a hand in this accident can be held accountable.

What about you? Do you have any additional thoughts about this wreck? Feel free to leave a comment below letting me know what you think.