ANTES FORT — A Porter Township man was killed late Tuesday morning when he lost control of his Dodge Ram pickup truck on Route 44 and slammed into a utility pole, about a half a mile south of State Street, in Nippenose Township, according to Tiadaghton Valley Regional police.

Jerold Ross, the county’s chief deputy coroner, pronounced Stephen W. Zwald, 57, of Valley View Drive, dead at the scene of blunt force trauma injuries following the 11:30 a.m. crash.

Antes Fort, Jersey Shore and Nippenose Township volunteer firefighters had to use extraction tools in order to recover his body from the wreckage. The two-lane state highway was shut down for about 40 minutes. One lane was then reopened until the truck was removed from the scene.

Police said Zwald, who worked at the Jersey Shore Cemetery, was traveling north and attempting to pass another motorist when his truck went off the highway and crashed into the pole. The right rear tire broke loose from the vehicle.

Investigators said Zwald was returning to work from a dental appointment in Watsontown.

PPL crews responded to shore up the damaged pole with boards. The pole will be replaced at a later date, officials said. Employees with the state Department of Transportation also responded, assisting with traffic control and conducting their own investigation into the crash.