A Minerva man died Wednesday morning when the semi-truck he was driving crashed and caught fire in Belmont County, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
Troopers from the St. Clairsville Post said the crash occurred about 7:59 a.m. on Township Road 311, also known as Patterson Hill Road, in Pultney Township.
Investigators said the southbound 1997 Kenworth, operated by 38-year-old Joseph W. Ferrell, experienced a mechanical failure before leaving the road. The truck went into a wooded area, overturned and caught fire.
Ferrell was unable to escape the cab and was pronounced dead at the scene, the patrol reported.
The Belmont County Sheriff’s Office, local fire departments, the county coroner’s office, the Belmont County Emergency Management Agency, the Ohio Department of Transportation and two towing companies assisted at the scene.
The crash remains under investigation.
