FINDLEY TOWNSHIP, PENNSYLVANIA — The Mercer County coroner has ruled the death of a 66-year-old Ohio truck driver a homicide after a crash on westbound Interstate 80 Wednesday morning in which another semi-truck merged into his lane without warning, causing him to lose control, exit the roadway, roll, and strike an embankment. He was ejected and pronounced dead at the scene.
Gary Edward Jones, 66, of New Springfield, Ohio, was driving a tractor-trailer in the right lane near mile marker 19 — between the Mercer and I-79 exits in Findley Township — around 9:25 a.m. when a semi in the left lane merged into the right lane directly in front of his trailer. Jones struck the semi on its passenger side, lost control, exited the roadway, and rolled. Jones was not wearing a seatbelt and was thrown from the vehicle. The driver of the other truck was not injured.
Mercer County Coroner John Libonati said the cause of death was blunt force injuries sustained in the crash and ruled the manner of death a homicide — meaning the death resulted from the actions of another person. No arrests had been announced as of Wednesday evening. Pennsylvania State Police are investigating.
Westbound I-80 at the I-79 interchange was closed during the response before reopening.
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