On Tuesday, June 17, a 65-year-old dump truck driver from Georgia died after losing control of his truck while driving down a steep, six-mile I-40 descent into Old Fort.
McDowell County Emergency Services Director Will Kehler said a call came in at 10:12 a.m. about a dump truck crash in the 500 block of Bat Cave Road. Kehler stated that no other people were involved in the crash.
Witnesses say the driver pumped his brakes but was unable to slow down. Old Fort Police Chief Melvin Lytle confirmed that the driver’s brakes failed based on witness reports.
The driver’s name was Ralph Hibbert, Lytle revealed.
Lytle told News 13 that the dump truck driver, Hibbert, lost his brakes and was traveling at 75-80 mph on Interstate 40 East before exiting at Exit 73. He claimed the driver avoided several emergency off-ramps on I-40 for trucks that had lost brakes or control.
Hibbert collided with a building under construction across from the stop sign at the bottom of Exit 73. Lytle stated that Hibbert went airborne in the truck for approximately 85 feet before dying.
According to one witness, he appeared to do everything he could to avoid colliding with other vehicles.
Lytle believes the truck driver entered the six-mile descent at a high speed and lost control. Norfolk Southern stated that Hibbert was not employed by them, but was hauling material for the railroad company. According to Lytle, Hibbert was carrying ballast, or railroad gravel, in the truck bed.
“Coming down that mountain is always an issue,” said nearby resident Lee Dubno. “The trucks get the worst of it. They do lose their brakes. I’ve seen trucks on fire, in runoff areas, smelling of burning rubber and brakes.”
Dubno stated that what happened on Tuesday is a wake-up call for drivers.
“Drive slightly slower. “It’s easy to lose focus on your speed,” Dubno explained.
Reference: Driver dead after dump truck brakes fail, causing construction site crash