Medical examiner names Spokane man who died when truck fell on him

The man who died Thursday morning when a utility truck fell on him in a driveway in northeast Spokane was Ronald J. Wittkopf, 55.

The county medical examiner’s office released Wittkopf’s name on Friday, saying he died of asphyxiation due to a chest injury from the vehicle. The medical examiner determined his death was accidental.

Wittkopf had been under a utility truck, preparing to have it towed by a professional towing company, when the vehicle shifted and fell on him in his driveway at 3229 E. Bridgeport Ave.

Firefighers responded at about 10:15 a.m., lifted the vehicle off of Wittkopf and began life-saving efforts, but he died at the scene. A neighbor described him as a classic car enthusiast who lived alone but decorated extensively for Christmas each year.