MARION COUNTY — The driver of a vehicle was able to escape a fiery Sunday morning crash on Alma Hatchery Road but the crash claimed the life of his dog.

According to the Marion County Sheriff’s Department, 26-year-old Jamison Fletcher of Cowden was driving around 10:20 a.m. Sunday on Alma Hatchery Road near Bailey Road, he ran into a roadside ditch and struck a power pole.

While Fletcher was able to escape the vehicle before emergency help arrived, his dog was trapped inside the vehicle and died.

Fletcher was transported to Salem Township Hospital where he was airlifted to a regional hospital for treatment of injuries.

Salem Fire Protection firefighters responded to the scene to extinguish the burning vehicle.