It was the latest in a string of fatal crashes over the past several days in the Allegheny region.

State police said the victim was a Cambria County man. They had not released his name as of noon.

Jeffrey Claycomb, of Jeff's Pool Sales, said, "We had just gotten to work and we were here a couple minutes and we heard what sounded like a bomb going off."

Claycomb said a Jeep Cherokee was unrecognizable, the tractor-trailer was destroyed and debris was lying all over Route 56.

"We did talk to the driver of the truck who said he just came across the road and he tried to get away from him, but he just hit him head-on," Claycomb said.

State police said the driver of the Jeep may have been on his way from work and he crossed the center line. Police said the crash is still under investigation.

"He possible fell asleep, possibly going too fast for conditions on a wet road. It's hard to say at this point," said Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Warren Rhyner, of the state police Bedford barracks.

The truck driver was transported to the hospital and investigators said he's expected to be OK.

The crash had so much force that the 80,000-pound semi-trailer was totaled. Officials with M&C Trucking said the fuel tank, steering axle and hood were destroyed. The steel beams it was carrying were just five feet away from going through the cab.

While the stretch of Route 56 has undergone millions of dollars in safety improvements, people who live and work there said they've actually seen more problems.

Claycomb said, "They've improved the road, but it's opened it up for people to go at a high speed, so it's contributing to more accidents."

As of noon, the stretch of Route 56 had reopened after it was closed down for several hours while crews cleared the scene.

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