Man dies after he is stuck in truck door

A North Augusta man was killed Thursday morning after his Dodge pickup truck lunged forward and into a tree, closing the driver's side door on him and causing him to suffocate.

James Honaker, of Buckthorn Court, was 52 years old.

He was pronounced dead at his home around 7 a.m., said Aiken County Coroner Tim Carlton.

Officials tried to piece together the details of what may have happened after talking with the man's wife and a handful of witnesses who came upon the man after the accident.

Carlton said the North Augusta man had moved his truck out of the driveway to let his wife move her vehicle out of the garage before work when the accident occurred.

She left, and Honaker likely pulled his vehicle forward and up the driveway, possibly leaning out of the truck to scoop up the newspaper. The truck lunged forward and crashed into a pine tree, trapping the man, Carlton said.

After the 52-year-old failed to show up for work, his employer called his wife.

She returned to her home and found EMS was already at the family's residence.

A group of construction workers in the area were driving by when they reported seeing the trapped man and called for help.

Aiken EMS found the door had closed in on him, and the coroner's office was notified.

The vehicle was still in drive.

The coroner said officials can't be sure if Honaker fell as he was leaning out to pick up the paper or if he slipped.

He was unable to free himself after being trapped.

His death will be ruled an accident, Carlton said.

It is not considered a traffic-related crash.

Contact Karen Daily at kdaily@aikenstandard.com.