DOVER -- Dover Police are continuing to investigate the cause of a tractor trailer accident that left the driver, a Warren, N.H., man, dead Friday afternoon.

Francis Murray, 54, was pronounced dead at the scene after the truck went off the road just after 2 p.m. The driver of a passing vehicle called 911 but was traveling too far behind the truck to witness the truck going over the guardrail, said Richard Werner, Dover Police Department detective.

When emergency responders arrived at the intersection of Dover Hill and Taft Brook roads, the truck was lying on its roof about 50 feet over the bank of the road, Werner said.

He added that there are no known witnesses at this time.

"All efforts were made to rescue the gentleman," said Ken March, Wilmington fire chief, who oversaw the extrication of the driver. "Unfortunately, he passed at the scene."

According to March, it’s likely that Murray was making a delivery to a local sawmill when he missed a turn, losing control of the vehicle as he tried to find his way back.

A dog traveling with Murray was extricated from the vehicle alive.

The rescue effort was a difficult process that required using blocks of lumber to stabilize the truck in order to make it safe to gain access to the victim.

"We had to lift the truck up a couple feet and do some cribbing to ascertain the condition of the driver," said March.

March said the heavy rescue equipment cleared out at

Advertisement
about 6:30 p.m., and the road was closed until around midnight.

Werner described the road as having a fairly steep downhill slope with a fairly sharp curve.

"It’s pretty well marked," Werner said. He said the speed limit is 35 mph.

East Dover Fire and Rescue, Deerfield Valley Rescue, the Wilmington Fire Department Rescue Team, the Vermont State Police, Brattleboro barracks, and Wilmington, Dover, West Dover and Brattleboro Police departments responded to the scene. A DHART helicopter also responded to the scene.

Briggs Automotive, Inc. and Brown’s Country Services helped with stabilizing the vehicle.

Jaime Cone can be reached at jcone@reformer.com or 802-254-2311, ext. 277.