TOWN OF ASHLAND – A 37-year-old driver of a dump truck hauling asphalt to repave Route 23 in the Town of Ashland, was killed Wednesday afternoon when the large vehicle crashed into a vacant house resulting in the building and the truck catching fire.
The Greene County Sheriff’s Office said Chasondra McGill of Schenectady was pronounced dead at the scene. The truck she was driving was one of several trucks contracted for use by Callanan Construction to repave the road.
Preliminary investigation at the scene found that the tandem axle truck was southbound on West Settlement Road going down a steep grade when the driver lost control and was unable to stop at the intersection of Route 23.
The truck crossed over the road at a high rate of speed, left the road and struck a vacant house which immediately caught fire. The fire then spread to an adjacent vacant house that was also destroyed.
The siding on a third house, across the street, was also damaged by the intense heat.
A firefighter from Ashland Fire Department was taken to Albany Medical Center for smoke inhalation after trying to rescue the driver.
The investigation into the incident is ongoing.
The sheriff’s office was assisted at the scene by the State Police, Town of Windham Police, Ashland, Windham, Hensonville, Jewett, Prattsville, and Lexington fire departments, Ashland and Windham ambulances, Greene County Paramedics and Greene County Department of Emergency services.
