A man from the state of California died early Saturday, March 15 after the truck he was a passenger in went off the side of Interstate 70 in Lafayette County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol says the truck was driven by an 18-year-old and was heading west on I-70 around 12:40 a.m. According to the patrol’s report, the truck went off the side of the interstate around mile marker 51, two miles east of the Higginsville Junction, and struck a ditch. The driver suffered serious injuries and was taken to a Kansas City area hospital. His 43-year-old passenger was pronounced dead at the scene. troopers say neither man was wearing their seat belt at the time of the crash.