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Last updated on Thursday, May 18, 2017
(ORLEANS) - Orange County Police believe a tire blew out on a tri-axle dump truck right before the truck left the roadway and crashed into the former J&R Auto Sales on Tuesday, killing 73-year-old Charles Hounshell of Orleans.
A witness was following the dump truck on State Road 37 and told police they heard a loud explosion and one of the tires on the truck blew out as it was traveling north, causing the truck to veer off the east side of the highway and crash into the side of the building.
Another witness told police that Hounshell never slowed down before the truck struck the building.
The truck owned by Riverview Farms of Orleans was carrying three-fourths of a full load of gravel at the time of the wreck.
When police arrived on the scene at 11:18 a.m. they found the dump truck partially inside the building and tire marks and pieces of the tire along the east side of the road and deep gouges in the parking lot leading to where the truck crashed into the building.
Police found the roof of the building collapsed on top of the truck and the cab of the truck was caved in. The west wall of the building was completely torn down. A utility pole and wires were also on the ground.
According to the police report, Hounshell was not wearing a seat belt during the incident.
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