MASON, W.Va. - Walter Roush and his brother-in-law, John Harrah, were sitting on the front porch of Roush's Second Street home in Mason Tuesday, and were shocked to see a truck driver was driving through lawns across the street.

They didn't know that a quarter of a mile away from them, Gary R. George, 49, of Langsville, apparently had a heart attack, which caused him to veer off the roadway.

The 1997 Ford six-axle dump truck, owned by Three R Industries Inc. of Langsville, first struck a 1999 Jeep Cherokee driven by John Calvin Fields, 30, of Hartford, veered off the left side of the road, then struck a utility pole. It then traveled through three yards and two fences before striking a house that had been owned by the late Irene Justice, said Chief Derrick Taylor of the Mason Police Department.

George was pronounced dead at the scene.

He had been heading north on W.Va. 62, which is also Second Street in Mason, Taylor said. He was making a delivery of stone to American Electric Power's Mountaineer Plant in New Haven.

The accident happened around 1:15 p.m. Tuesday.

“When it hit the house, there was a loud ‘boom,'” Roush said.

Other witnesses said that children who were playing several blocks away heard what sounded like an explosion and went to ask their parents what happened.

“I'm just glad it didn't hit Bob's (Market and Greenhouse),” Roush said.

Bob's Market and Greenhouse is just one block away from the accident scene.

Members of the Mason Volunteer Fire Department and Mason County Emergency Service rushed to the site in an attempt to help George. Emergency crews were on the scene for at least two hours.

Also, employees with the Town of Mason Water and Sewer Services and Mountaineer Gas were at the scene to turn off utilities that were still on at the home.

George's body was taken to Pleasant Valley Hospital, and later will be taken to the West Virginia Medical Examiner's Office in Charleston for an autopsy.

Rex Shenefield, who shared ownership in the truck which George was driving, said that everyone who knew George loved him and he was going to be greatly missed by his family, friends and co-workers.

“He was full of humor,” he said. “There was never a dull moment when he was around.”

Taylor said he is continuing his investigation into the accident.

He was assisted at the scene by Sgt. E.B. Starcher of the Mason County Detachment of the West Virginia State Police, Cpl. Wes Bumgarner of the Mason County Sheriff's Department and Patrolman Bruce Adkins of the New Haven Police Department.