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Richard Hetzel was behind the wheel of a gray Ford pickup truck towing a landscaping trailer loaded with dirt and grass sod heading east on William Penn Highway when he suffered a medical episode and went unconscious just after 11:45 a.m. on Tuesday, May 17, Bethlehem Township Police Chief Gregory J. Gottschall told DailyVoice.com.
Hetzel, of Easton, veered to the left near the intersection with Sheridan Drive before crossing over the west bound lane and onto the shoulder on the north side of the roadway, Gottschall said.
Hetzel then crashed into and snapped a PPL utility pole, continued driving on the shoulder, and struck another utility pole before the truck came to a stop.
Hetzel was taken to the trauma center at St. Luke’s Hospital – Anderson Campus and later pronounced dead, Gottschall said.
Both Hetzel and his passenger were wearing their seatbelts during the crash, which also caused the truck’s airbags to deploy.
His passenger was not seriously hurt.
Meanwhile, numerous residents lost power following the crash, police said.
The incident remains under investigation.
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