BIG CHIMNEY, W.Va. — A California man was the victim of in a fiery truck crash Monday night on Interstate 79 in Kanawha County.
The crash took place northbound near the Big Chimney exit at just before 10 p.m. According to authorities, a tractor-trailer hauling food struck a barrier near a bridge around mile-marker 7.5, overturning the truck which landed in a wooded area below the roadway.
The truck caught fire as first responders began arriving. One man, the passenger in the truck, was located near the wreckage and helped to an ambulance. The driver, Harpreet Singh, 28 of Fresno, California, was killed.
The roadway was shut down for several hours and reopened around 3:30 a.m.
The Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office said though the exact cause of the crash is not yet determined, weather is believed to have played a role as it was raining when it occurred.