One Dead in Ridge Pike Crash

A man was killed Friday morning when the dump truck he was driving collided with a utility pole on Ridge Pike in Plymouth Township.

Sergeant John Jackson of the Plymouth Township Police department said a preliminary investigation indicated that the driver, whose name has not yet been released, ran a red light while traveling westbound at Alan Wood Road.

"We're not one hundred percent sure, but we think he ran the red-light and for whatever reason slammed on his breaks and started to turn," Jackson said.

Jackson said the truck then tipped onto its passenger side and slid cab first into an electric pole. The pole was completely obliterated and also brought down lines on both sides of Ridge Pike, causing power loss between Chemical and Belvoir Roads.

The driver was extricated from the wreck by Plymouth and Harmonville Fire companies and transported to Mercy Suburban Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, Jackson said. Police have not yet identified him and said he was not carrying any identification. The truck was identified on its cab as belonging to Digregorio, Inc. of Churchville, Pa. No other vehicles were involved, police said.

Easbound lanes of Ridge Pike reopened at about 1:50 p.m. Friday between Belvoir Road and Chemical Road on Ridge Pike, while westbound remained closed. That section of the road was originally closed in both directions as crews worked to clear the accident scene. PECO workers were standing by to make electrical repairs.

Montgomery County Patch Associate Regional Editor David Powell contributed to this report.