Austin Zalik's Death Ruled Accident

A Berks County coronor has ruled  on Aug. 3 an accident, according to reports in The Morning Call and The Reading Eagle.

Deputy Coroner John Hollenbach said Zalik, a Navy midshipman and Parkland High School graduate, had apparently fallen asleep after parking his truck and bumping the stick gear shift into neutral about 6:30 a.m., the reports said. The truck slipped down an embankment and was hit by a tractor trailer on Interstate 78, near Lenhartsville in Berks County.

Zalik, of Upper Macungie, died from head and chest injuries.

Zalik's blood alcohol level was 0.09 blood-alcohol level, just above the legal limit of 0.08 percent, according to the reports.

Zalik had been on summer leave from the U.S. Naval Academy, where he was a junior. He had been selected as captain of the gymnastics team for the upcoming season. He had previously competed at the Parkettes National Gymnastics Training Center in Allentown.