A man died in Kansas on Saturday after, officials believe, he was struck by a rifle that discharged when a dog stepped on it.
Joseph Austin Smith, of Wichita, was shot around 9:40 a.m. in a truck in the 1600 block of East 80th Street, a country road about 45 miles south of Wichita, Wellington Fire and EMS Chief Tim Hay said.
The dog stepped on the rifle in the back of the truck, causing it to fire and hit the back of Smith, who was found in the front passenger seat, Hay said.
Emergency medical personnel administered CPR before Smith was pronounced dead at the scene, Hay said.
Another person who was in the driver's seat was physically unharmed, he said.
It was not immediately clear who owned the truck and the dog or who called 911.
The investigation continues. Officials say it appears to have been a hunting-related accident, according to the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office, which said hunting gear was also found in the back of the vehicle.
