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TROUT RUN -- The Lycoming County Coroner's Office has completed its investigation into the death of a Bradford County man who was run over by his own water tanker truck at a secured fill site off of Rose Valley Road in Cascade Township earlier this month.
County Coroner Charles E. Kiessling Jr. said Donald Maus, 74, of Troy, was killed instantly when he was run over by his water tanker truck on Vargis Lane about 6:30 a.m. on Dec. 9. Although no one witnessed the crash, a neighbor heard it and called 911.
Investigators believe that after filling his tanker truck, Maus was getting ready to pull out onto Rose Valley Road, but before leaving, he got out of the cab to close a security gate to the fill site, Kiessling said. The entrance to the site is on a slight incline, and Maus failed to apply the truck's emergency brake before getting out of the cab, Kiessling said. This allowed the tanker truck to roll backwards onto Maus as he was getting ready to secure the gate, Kiessling added. The truck ran over Maus and continued another 50 to 100 yards, crashing into a utility pole and becoming entangled in overhead powerlines before going off the side of the road and getting stuck in mud, he said.
State police investigated the crash. Trout Run volunteer firefighters also responded.