JACKSON COUNTY - A Rockwood man suffered moderate injuries after his vehicle struck a tree and caught on fire early Monday.

George Choate, 44, was driving west on Hog Hill Road at about 11 a.m. when his vehicle went off the roadway on a descending, winding curve and struck a tree, according to a press release from the Jackson County Sheriff's Department.

The vehicle soon caught fire as a result of the crash, and the 1991 Ford pick-up was completely destroyed in the fire. Choate was able to get out of the vehicle, but he suffered the injuries as a result of the impact.

He was taken by private vehicle to Chester Memorial Hospital. The Ava and Campbell Hill fire departments responded to extinguish the fire.