State police report on Schuylkill crashes
State police at Frackville reported on the following crashes investigated by troopers on Schuylkill County roadways.
• A crash was reported at 4:53 a.m. on May 1 along Route 924 in East Union Township. Troopers said James R. Blackwell, 45, of Mahanoy City, was driving a 2002 GMC Envoy southbound and negotiating a left turn. Due to a heavy rainstorm that passed through the area, a high volume of water was running across the roadway. Blackwell drove through the water and his car began to hydroplane. The vehicle slid off the road and struck an embankment, overturned and came to final rest on its roof in the southbound lane.
Blackwell was not injured.
• A crash was reported at 3:31 p.m. on April 30 along Interstate 81 in Delano Township. Troopers said Kristopher A. Boxter, 19, of Barnesville, was driving a 2012 Hyundai Elantra northbound when the vehicle left the road and struck guard rail along the east berm. Boxter was not injured but the vehicle was towed.
He was cited for driving a vehicle at a unsafe speed.
• Troopers investigated another crash on Interstate 81 in Ryan Township about 6:03 p.m. on April 30. Viktoria Honcharuk, 25, of Pensacola, Florida, was driving a 2015 Toyota Highlander southbound when the vehicle struck an embankment in the median. Honcharuk was not injured but the vehicle was towed. She was cited for driving a vehicle at a unsafe speed.
• A hit-and-run crash was reported at 12:26 a.m. on April 13 along Valley Street, Brockton, in Schuylkill Township. Troopers said a vehicle was traveling eastbound when it crossed over the road and hit a legally parked 2010 Volkswagen Jetta along the opposite berm. The driver fled the scene. The fleeing vehicle may have front end/driver side damage and is possibly a smaller model sport utility vehicle with red or black paint.
• Another hit-and-run was reported on April 13 at 7:47 a.m. along Water Street in New Philadelphia borough. A vehicle was traveling northbound when it drifted onto the right shoulder and struck a legally parked 2004 Chrysler 300. The driver fled the scene. Damages were minor to the Chrysler.
• A two-vehicle crash was reported on April 13 at 8:58 p.m. along Interstate 81 in Cass Township. Troopers said John M. Shala, 42, of Dallas, Luzerne County, was operating a 2016 Dodge Ram truck northbound in the left lane while Kelly C. Johnson, 41, of Englewood, New Jersey, was driving a 2019 International Harvester truck in the right lane. Shala was passing Johnson while towing a U-Haul trailer. The trailer dislodged from the Ram and crashed into the side of Johnson’s rig. Johnson then lost control of his truck and it crashed into the guard rail on the right side of the road.
No injuries were reported. The tractor was towed.
Troopers cited Shala for failure to secure loads in vehicles and driving while operating privileges are suspended.
• A crash was reported at 10:09 p.m. April 14 along Route 61 in Blythe Township. Troopers said Kody A. Newberry, 26, of Frackville, was driving a 2018 Toyota Tacoma southbound when he lost control on the wet roads. The vehicle went onto the west side berm, went into the woods and hit an embankment.
Newberry was not injured, but the Toyota was towed. Newberry was cited for driving a vehicle at a unsafe speed.