Ohio State Highway Patrol officials said a car driven by Thomas Zuppo, 47, of Girard was traveling at a high rate of speed on Interstate 80 in Austintown when it slammed into the back of a salt truck early Wednesday.
Zuppo, a Girard police dispatcher, was killed instantly.
The crash happened about 12:30 a.m. near the Salt Springs Road exit on Interstate 80. According to police, Zuppo was traveling east in the left lane near the Mahoning/Trumbull county line when his Grand Prix slammed into the back of an Ohio Department of Transportation truck that was spreading salt.
Zuppo's car was lodged under the salt truck and caught on fire.
No one was with Zuppo in his car, and the driver of the ODOT truck, Thomas H. Hofus Jr., 42, of Boardman, was not injured. Both were wearing seatbelts.
Traffic around the crash scene was limited to one lane for several hours. Witnesses said it appeared Zuppo was speeding, and police confirmed that speed was a factor in the accident.
Zuppo's co-workers, as well as city leaders, said Zuppo will be greatly missed.
"Tom was always helpful and always had a smile on his face," said Girard Mayor Jim Melfi. "We got a lot of compliments on his service to the public."
The crash remains under investigation.
