Federal Jury Awards $7.8 Million After Semi Blocks Oklahoma City Road, Causes High-Speed Crash

Shortly after midnight on March 3, 2024, Aldin Lewis was driving his 1985 Chevrolet K10 pickup east on W. Reno Avenue in southwest Oklahoma City. A semi-truck operated by Wilayat Hussain, a driver employed by California-based Chandi 209 Trucking, Inc., pulled from a private driveway onto Reno Avenue and failed to stop at the stop sign controlling that movement. The truck swung across both eastbound lanes in the middle of a turn, blocking the road entirely.

Lewis, traveling at approximately 50 miles per hour, could not see the dark trailer in time to stop. His pickup struck the rear of the semi at speed. The collision totaled the truck, which Lewis had inherited from his father, and left him with serious injuries to his neck and head. Medical evaluations recommended surgery on his neck.

Parrish DeVaughn attorney Travis Leverett argued at trial that Hussain's failure to yield was compounded by the trucking company's own negligence in hiring and training a driver with limited English proficiency and inadequate preparation for operating a commercial vehicle in U.S. traffic conditions. The defense denied liability and contended that Lewis bore responsibility for failing to react to the trailer's presence in the roadway.

On March 26, 2026, an Oklahoma City federal jury disagreed. The panel awarded Lewis $4.3 million in actual damages and an additional $3.5 million in punitive damages, reaching a total verdict of $7.8 million. The punitive award reflected the jury's finding that Chandi 209 Trucking's conduct in hiring and supervising Hussain rose to the level of gross negligence.

At the time of the trial, Lewis was supporting his family and expecting a child. No post-verdict reduction has been reported.