NORWAY — Drivers who escaped injury in a collision Thursday afternoon on Route 118 were identified by police Friday as Deborah Howe, 72, of Waterford and Leonard Sioch. 49, of Solon.

Norway police officer John Lewis said the crash involving a large dump truck loaded with tar and a Volkswagen Rabbit could have been much worse.

Howe was headed toward Waterford when she stopped for a wide load going around a piece of Norway town equipment, Lewis said. Sioch was also headed toward Waterford when he descended a hill and rounded a curve to see Howe’s vehicle stopped ahead of him.

“There really wasn’t a lot of options for him” Lewis said.

The loaded truck, weighing nearly 80,000 pounds, struck the rear quarter panel of the car before it plowed into a ditch beside the road.

“It doesn’t appear he was going very fast,” Lewis said. “He actually came to a stop fairly quickly for having almost 80,000 pounds (on board).”

Sioch was “just thankful it turned out the way it did,” Lewis said.

The Rollins Excavation truck from Solon was driven away after two large wreckers pulled it back onto Route 118, he said.

“That truck had just had some work done on the dump body. It was the first day it was back on the road,” the officer said.

 Howe’s vehicle was towed because of damage to a rear tire, Lewis said.

The tar was dumped at a site in Norway. 

The road was closed for several hours.

A dump truck loaded with tar and weighing nearly 80,000 pounds lies in a ditch beside Route 118 in Norway on Thursday afternoon. Leonard Sioch, 49, of Solon escaped injury, Norway police officer John Lewis said. (Chuck Blaquiere photo)

A Peterbilt dump truck registered to Rollins Excavation in Solon plowed into a ditch beside Route 118 in Norway on Thursday afternoon. Leonard Sioch, 49, of Solon tried to avoid hitting a car stopped for a wide load, Norway police officer John Lewis said. The truck was hauling a load of tar and weighed nearly 80,000 pounds, he said. (Chuck Blaquiere photo)

A large dump truck is tipped on its side next to Route 118 in Norway on Thursday afternoon. Driver Leonard Sioch, 49, of Solon was hauling a load of tar toward Waterford when he rounded a curve and tried to avoid hitting a Volkswagen Rabbit stopped in front of him, Norway police officer John Lewis said. Neither Sioch nor Volkswagen driver Deborah Howe, 72, of Waterford was injured, the officer said. (Chuck Blaquiere photo)