OAKLAND TWP — Investigators suspect an elderly West Sunbury man suffered a fatal medical condition late Tuesday afternoon that caused him to lose control of his minivan and crash in the township.

Robert E. Dufford, 77, was driving south on Route 38 just south of Hohn Farm Road shortly before 5 p.m. when his 1999 Dodge Caravan veered off the road, hit an embankment and went into a ditch, state police said.

Dufford was taken by ambulance to Butler Memorial Hospital where a physician pronounced him dead a short time later.

Butler County Coroner William Young III said this morning that while the investigation continues, he believed Dufford suffered an unknown medical issue that triggered the accident.