A 65-year-old Topeka man died Tuesday morning after the van he was driving struck a bridge railing on U.S. Highway 24 near Williamstown in Jefferson County.

Sheriff Jeff Herrig said Leonard Binkley was driving west on the highway about 11:45 a.m. when his 1994 Ford Aerostar struck the rail on the right side of the highway.

The force caused the van to tip onto its side in the middle of the highway, and Binkley was thrown onto a creek bank south of the highway, Herrig said.

Herrig said an initial investigation pointed to a possible health problem contributing to the accident, but officers are continuing to try to pinpoint an exact cause. Toxicology results are pending, but alcohol is not believed to be a factor in the crash.

The accident forced the closure of the intersection of U.S. Highway 24 and 59 until 2:30 p.m. Tuesday.