Emergency crews were called just after 1:30 a.m. to Howell’s Body and Frame Service on National Road to find the white Ford F-350 had crashed into the shop and both were engulfed in flames. Initial investigation revealed the pickup was headed west on U.S. 40 when it ran off the right side of the roadway and into the building, according to a release from the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
The truck was on its side and was in an area of the body shop that collapsed in the crash, Fletcher said. Crews used a wrecker to pull the truck out of the building before they could get to the victim.
“We pulled that vehicle from the building, and then we had to utilize heavy rescue tools to extricate and recover the one deceased occupant in that vehicle,” Brookville Fire Chief Ron Fletcher said.
Due to the size of business, fire crews completed primary and secondary searches for any additional victims.
“We were able to determine pretty quickly that anywhere in the building where anybody could be that we were unable to check was not survivable space,” Fletcher said.
Fire crews were successful in fighting and controlling the fire.
The body shop was in an area without fire hydrants.
“With the assistance of several of our neighboring departments, we were able to bring in adequate enough water and get the water in the right places to save a good bit of business here,” Fletcher said.
Despite the damage, owner Michael Howell said he planned to open Tuesday and run his business out of the part of the building where employees work on cars.
He said the truck hit the part of the building where his office is and the crash and fire didn’t damage any of his customers’ vehicles.
The crash remains under investigation, but speed is suspected to be a factor, according to the highway patrol.
Troopers said is is not known whether Buckley was wearing a seat belt, and it also is unknown whether drug or alcohol use was a factor.
