Two men died Wednesday after a semi collided with a pickup truck on U.S. 250 in Harrison County.

The accident happened at about 7:30 a.m. Wednesday. The driver and passenger of the Ford pickup truck were killed, while the driver of the semi was sent to a local hospital to be treated for non-life threatening injuries.

Charles G. Arbuckle, 43, of 9642 SR 250 SE, Dennison, Ohio was operating the 2000 Ford F350, pulling a trailer that was hauling a track hoe. Jeremy J. Hidey, 39, of 5281 Deer Rd., Sherrodsville, was the passenger in the pickup. Both Arbuckle and Hidey were trapped in the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Mack truck was transported to Twin City Hospital in Dennison with minor injuries.

According to investigators, the tractor-trailer was eastbound on U.S. 250 towards Cadiz and slowed to make a left turn onto Ohio 646. Eyewitness reported that the semi was using turn signals indicating the turn when the pickup pulled into the westbound lanes to go around the slowed vehicle and was struck by the rig, sending both vehicles through the guard rail at the intersection of the two state highways and down an embankment into Tappan Lake.

There was no indication whether the pickup truck was unable to stop or attempting to pass when the collision occurred. Both vehicles continued by overturning into Tappan Lake.

According to volunteer firefighters on the scene, the goose neck trailer and track-hoe landed on top of the pickup truck that was pulling it, and first responders had to wade into the waist-deep water and cut the victims from the wreckage. A pontoon boat was used to aid in the clean-up efforts.

Authorities closed U.S. 250 at Ohio 22 and Ohio 151 and Ohio 646 from Scio to U.S. 250 following the accident.

Both routes remained closed for several hours, stranding other semis while crews cleaned up and law enforcement investigated the accident scene.

To aid the investigation, an OSHP aircraft was called in to photograph the crash site from the air. The investigation is ongoing.