SIDNEY — A 78-year-old Oakland resident died this afternoon in a single-vehicle accident on Route 27.

Gerald Wrigley of 175 Fairfield St. died after apparently falling asleep and striking a tree, according to Kennebec County Sheriff Randall Liberty.

He had been driving north on Route 27 when his 2000 Jeep Cherokee moved across the center line and struck a mailbox just north of the intersection of Route 23. The impact with the mailbox caused the Jeep to flip end-for-end before slamming into a large tree. The collision with the tree crushed the roof of the Jeep.

Wrigley suffered severe head trauma and was pronounced dead on the scene, Liberty said. Wrigley was wearing a seatbelt, and neither speed nor alcohol appeared to have been factors in the accident.

No passengers were traveling with Wrigley, and the location was sparsely populated, Liberty said. The call came in around 1:45 p.m.