RADA, WV (LOOTPRESS) – A Tuesday afternoon motor vehicle accident involving a pickup truck and tractor trailer has resulted in the death of one driver, authorities say.
According to the Hampshire County Sheriff’s Office, at roughly 4:17pm on Tuesday, December 5, 2023, authorities responded to reports made to Hampshire County 911 regarding a two-vehicle accident which occurred at the intersection of Purgitsville Pike along WV Route 220 and Blackburn Road in the Rada area.
Fire and EMS personnel responded to the scene to discover the aforementioned vehicles and reported the driver of the pickup truck having sustained fatal injuries as a result of the crash.
Corporal Austin Shockey and Deputy Brandon Liller of the Hampshire County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene to conduct an investigation, eventually learning that the tractor trailer had been traveling south on Purgitsville Pike.
The pickup truck is said to have been making an attempt to enter Purgitsville Pike from Blackburn Road, pulling out in front of the moving tractor trailer and leading to a collision.
The driver of the tractor trailer – identified as Dale Caplinger – advised he had been unable to stop the vehicle in time to prevent the collision which led to the passing of the driver of the pickup truck – identified as Michael Swick, 55 years old of Old Fields. Swick was pronounced dead at the scene by responders.
No serious injuries were sustained by Caplinger as a result of the incident, and Swick was determined by authorities to have been at fault for the accident.
Assistance at the scene was also provided by Romney Fire, Romney EMS, Hampshire EMS, and Burlington Fire/EMS. The death investigation was performed by Medical Examiner Chris Guynn.
