Oct 3, 2014 2 min read

An elderly Canton Township man was charged this week in connection with a crash last month in which police said he apparently steered into the path of a truck in a suicide attempt.

Joseph Muncie, 86, of Bench Avenue, was charged by state police with aggravated assault, criminal mischief, simple assault, reckless endangerment, driving on the wrong side of the road, careless driving and reckless driving in connection with the Sept. 4 crash on Route 844 (Jefferson Avenue) in Hopewell Township.

Muncie was driving west on Route 844 when he allegedly drove his car intentionally into an eastbound tri-axle truck driven by Randolph Larson, 61, of Huntingdon.

Larson told police he noticed the car swerve into his lane at the last moment and swerved to the left in an attempt to avoid a head-on collision. The car hit the right side of the truck. Muncie’s car then spun off the road, coming to rest in some weeds.

The truck came to rest in the westbound lane of Route 844, just short of an embankment that would have caused it to roll over, police said.

Muncie reportedly told police at the scene he deliberately drove into the truck because he wanted to end his life.

He also reportedly made a similar statement to two residents of the area who went to offer help, as well as to personnel at Washington Hospital’s emergency room.

Police said the crash did more than $36,250 in damage to the truck owned by Equipment Transport of Carlisle.

A container box on the truck was loaded with drill cuttings from a gas well site at the time of the crash.

The charges will be sent by summons from the office of District Judge Ethan Ward. A preliminary hearing is set for Nov. 3.