Geremiah Giles was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency crews that responded to a report of a wrecked vehicle at 7:25 a.m., according to Capt. M.A. Ralston of the Monongalia County, W.Va., sheriff's office.
Ralston said Giles' vehicle apparently ran off the road overnight.
The crash was not discovered until Thursday morning by a passing motorist who called the county's 911 center.
Giles was found in the front seat of the sport utility vehicle. Ralston said investigators believe Giles was driving north on I-79 when his vehicle ran off the right side of the road.
The vehicle, a 2004 GMC Yukon Denali, traveled across a grassy area, down a small bank and into a large rock at the edge of the tree line.
The vehicle would have been hard to see at night because of the dark and because, having traveled down a slight embankment, it was below the grade of the road, Ralston said.
The vehicle had heavy front-end damage, he said.
The cause of death appears to be from injuries suffered in the crash, though a final determination will not be made until a report is completed by the West Virginia medical examiner, Ralston said.
It had snowed "on and off" Wednesday night, Ralston said. The highway was reported to have been icy in spots.
When discovered, the vehicle was covered with a dusting of snow.
The sheriff's department continues to investigate the crash.