HILLSBORO, OH — A 62-year-old man died Saturday after a pickup truck left the roadway, struck a telephone box and ended up in a soybean field in Highland County, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

Troopers said the crash happened around 1:35 p.m. on New Vienna Road near Gist Settlement Road. The driver, identified as Jeffrey Harris, was operating a 1997 Chevrolet pickup westbound when the vehicle crossed the median, hit the roadside telephone box and then moved back across the median before going into a ditch.

How the crash unfolded on New Vienna Road

The sequence described by investigators shows the truck making several sudden movements before coming to rest. After striking the telephone box on the left side of the road, the vehicle crossed the median again and hit a ditch on the right side, where it stopped in a field.

Troopers have not said what caused the pickup to leave the road. The crash remains under investigation, and officials have not released any findings about speed, road conditions or whether any other factors played a role.

First responders found Harris dead at the scene

Fire crews and other emergency responders arrived shortly after the wreck and found Harris dead, the Ohio State Highway Patrol said. The Clinton-Highland Joint Fire Department responded to the scene, along with investigators working the crash.

The patrol did not say whether Harris was pronounced dead at the scene or after additional medical efforts, but officials confirmed that he was declared dead by the time responders reached the crash site. No other vehicles were involved in the collision.

Juvenile passenger was not hurt

A juvenile passenger was also inside the truck when it crashed, according to troopers, but that child was not injured. Authorities did not immediately release the passenger’s age or say whether the person was related to Harris.

Because the crash involved only one vehicle, investigators are focusing on the truck’s path along the roadway and the events that led it off course. The patrol has not said whether seat belts were in use or whether the passenger was evaluated by medical personnel at the scene.

Agencies working together on the investigation

The Ohio State Highway Patrol is leading the investigation with help from the Highland County Sheriff’s Office and the Highland County Coroner’s Office. That collaboration is typical in fatal crashes, where troopers determine how the wreck happened and the coroner handles the formal death investigation.

Officials have not announced any citations or charges. At this stage, the case remains open as investigators piece together the truck’s movements and the circumstances surrounding Harris’s death.

Highland County roadway where the fatal wreck happened

New Vienna Road is a local route in Highland County, and the crash occurred near the intersection with Gist Settlement Road. The truck came to rest in an adjacent soybean field after leaving the paved roadway, underscoring how quickly a single-vehicle wreck can spread across a rural roadside area.

Trouopers have not provided a timeline for when the investigation will be completed. For now, the confirmed details are limited to the time, location, sequence of impacts and the fact that one man died while his juvenile passenger survived without injury.

What troopers have confirmed so far

Based on the information released by the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the truck traveled westbound, crossed the median, hit a telephone box and then left the road a second time before stopping in a field. Harris was the only person killed.

The patrol has not yet said whether mechanical failure, distraction or another cause led to the crash. Until investigators complete their work, those questions remain unanswered.