An Auburn man moving to retire with family in South Alabama died Friday morning after hitting a patch of ice, causing his truck and a U-Haul trailer to careen off the roadway.
John Paul Vitruk, 64, formerly from Auburn, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident near the intersection of Alabama Highway 169 and Lee Road 175 in Salem, Alabama, about 20 miles from Auburn.
The Lee County Coroner said that Alabama State Troopers, the Salem Fire Department
When officers arrived on the scene, they found Vitruk trapped in his vehicle with no signs of life.
No other vehicles, alcohol nor injuries were involved in the accident.
Authorities say Vitruk was traveling on Highway 169 with a loaded U-Haul trailer when he approached the intersection at Lee 175 and hit a patch of ice in the road, causing his trailer to jack-knife. The vehicle overturned, leaving Vitruk trapped in the vehicle.
The coroner said he was killed instantly from blunt-force trauma.
The accident on Friday was the only weather-related fatality in Lee County due to the snow and ice and was the first traffic fatality for Lee County in 2018.
Lee County Coroner’s Office and the Alabama State Troopers are still investigating the accident.
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Chip Brownlee, senior in journalism and political science, is the editor-in-chief of The Auburn Plainsman.
