BY SUSAN BRYANT

sbryant@tnonline.com

A 40-year-old Bethlehem man and a 63-year-old New Jersey man were killed Nov. 7 when the Mack dump truck they were in was involved in a single vehicle crash in the area of I-78 East at Adam’s Road, Upper Macungie Township.

According to Lehigh County Coroner Daniel A. Buglio, Joel A. Fantauzzi Ortiz of Bethlehem, a passenger in the truck, was pronounced dead at 10:48 a.m., at the scene.

Donald T. Gercie of Alpha, N.J., driver of the truck, was pronounced dead at 12:23 p.m., also at the scene.

Buglio said the cause of death for both men was multiple blunt force injuries.

The manner of their death was ruled an accident, he said.

According to a State Police news release at 3:36 p.m. that day, Troopers with State Police Troop M, Fogelsville, were dispatched at approximately 9:52 a.m. for a rollover crash,

Police say the dump truck, which was hauling a skid steer on a trailer, was traveling in the right lane of a two-lane highway on I-78 East.

The dump bed struck the Adams Road overpass, causing both the dump bed and trailer to detach from the body of the truck.

After striking the overpass, the dump truck rolled over and came to final rest in the lane of travel on I-78 East at Mile Marker 48.

The right lane of I-78 West remained open during the investigation.

Both lanes of I-78 West were reopened at approximately 2:30 p.m. Both lanes of I-78 East were reopened shortly before 4 p.m.

Cetronia Ambulance, PennDOT, Upper Macungie Township Fire Department, Troop M Forensic Services Unit, Troop M Collision Analysis Reconstruction Unit, Upper Macungie Township Police Department, Goodwill Fire Company and V&M Towing assisted at the scene.