Driver distracted by YouTube videos accused of killing man loading tow truck

A driver is accused of tampering with evidence after allegedly watching YouTube videos when he struck and killed a tow truck driver with his vehicle.

Police say on Wednesday, September 25, Shodmon Yuldashev, 29, was watching YouTube videos behind the wheel of his semi-truck when he struck and killed a man standing on the roadside.

The accident occurred on Interstate 64 in Bath County, Kentucky. Officers say that the 54-year-old victim, Troy Caldwell, was loading his tow truck with another vehicle when he was killed on impact.

Yuldashev faces several charges, according to police, but he might have also known he was in the wrong when he reportedly attempted to tamper with his YouTube history after the accident.

Police claim Yuldashev tried to turn his tablet off and hide it during his arrest, resulting in him being charged with tampering with physical evidence.

After hearing of Caldwell’s death, a long-time tow truck coworker said that he died doing what he “loved,” adding that Caldwell always put safety first.

“He was just a really upstanding guy, he loved what he did,” Bubba Johnson said. 

“He was ‘Mr. Safety,’ I mean, he was always double checking and re-checking, always decked out in fluorescent gear, I mean, he was the one you’d want to be the frontman for your safety meeting.”

Fellow tow-truck drivers also came together as a community to pay their respects to their friend.

“The amount of towing companies that came and showed their support for a fallen veteran of our industry was breathtaking it gave anyone who seen it chill bumps. Troy would have been absolutely amazed by it, he was such a great guy he probably would’ve never dreamed of the turn out he would have been smiling ear to ear,” Johnson shared on TikTok.

The Morehead Police Chief, Derrick Blevins, also commented on Caldwell’s death, saying that it was a “tough loss.”

“Troy’s just a nice guy, always willing to do anything that you asked him to do,” Blevins said. “He’d go above and beyond on accident scenes, so it’s a tough loss for everybody.”

According to Caldwell’s obituary, he is survived by his father and his wife. He also had many hobbies that he was passionate about. “He loved to work and enjoyed collecting Hot Wheels and baseball cards, woodworking, and spending time with his family and friends. He will be greatly missed,” the obituary said.

Apart from Caldwell’s sudden death, three others died earlier this September when a bus overturned on a narrow highway in Brazil. Despite a journalist reporting the news from the scene, influencer MC Livinho crashed her camera time with a dance routine.

After going viral, netizens weren’t happy to see the social media influencer acting like nothing happened, calling him “disrespectful.”