ALUM CREEK, W.Va. — A Kanawha County man is dead after a mishap while his disabled vehicle was being towed.

Kanawha County Sheriff Mike Rutherford identified the man as Joey Slater Jr., 23, of Cross Lanes. He was riding on the hood of his own vehicle which was being towed by another vehicle after it broke down Tuesday evening on Childress Road near Alum Creek. The victim’s father, Joey Slater, Sr. was at the wheel of the vehicle being towed, but the steering locked up leaving him with no control.

“That caused it to go over into a ditch and as it was doing that, Joey Slater Jr. was riding on the hood of the towed vehicle and from what we understand he bent over to try and cut the cable between the two vehicles,” said Rutherford.

The car struck a ditch and pinned Slater Jr. between the vehicle and a rock wall. He was severely injured in the accident and later died at CAMC.

Rutherford said riding on the hood was not a safe situation, but their investigation revealed speed may have also played a role in the crash.

“We have a witnesses who indicated he was traveling at a higher rate of speed than the speed limit at that particular location,” the Sheriff said.

Authorities did not identify the driver of the vehicle pulling the disabled car. An investigation continues.