State police report on area crashes
Area state police reported on several crashes:
• One of two drivers involved in a crash at 4:55 p.m. on July 3 in Monroe County, was cited.
State police at Stroudsburg said the crash occurred along Route 209 (Seven Bridges Road), in Smithfield Township. Troopers said Kazimierz Zarzecki, 64, of Albrightsville, failed to maintain a safe following distance and safe speed in traffic. His 2010 Dodge Caravan rear-ended a 2010 Audi A4.
The victims were not injured. The Dodge was towed.
Troopers cited Zarzecki for driving a vehicle at a unsafe speed.
• A Carbon County driver was cited in a crash in Lehigh County.
State police at Bethlehem said the crash occurred along Route 678 in North Whitehall Township, at 4:13 p.m. on July 6. Shawn K. Shupp, 41, of Palmerton, was driving a 2008 Mercury Sable northbound and lost control and hit a tree.
Shupp was not injured but his passenger, Heather E. Arena, 42, of Palmerton, was taken to St. Luke’s Hospital, Allentown Campus, for treatment of injuries.
Troopers cited Shupp for driving a vehicle at a unsafe speed.
• Troopers also reported on a crash involving a Schuylkill County truck driver. Troopers said the crash occurred on July 14 at 8:27 a.m. on Route 22, at the Route 191 ramp, in Bethlehem Township, Northampton County.
Troopers said Thomas S. Russell, 48, of Galax, Virginia, was traveling about 60 mph in a 2020 Freightliner tractor with trailer while Philip L. Minchoff, 64, of Pottsville, driving a 2014 Freightliner tractor with trailer directly behind Russell going the about the same speed. Russell abruptly applied his brakes to exit onto the ramp and as he slowed down at a unsafe speed his trailer portion was struck in the rear by Minchoff’s truck. Russell’s rig turned onto the driver side on impact while Minchoff’s rig came to rest facing southeastern direction on the ramp.
Both drivers sustained suspected minor injuries and were taken to St. Luke’s Hospital, Fountain Hill. Both rigs were towed.
• State police at Hazleton reported investigating a two-vehicle crash about 8 p.m. on July 7 along Spring Mountain Road, near Quakake Road, in Packer Township, Carbon County.
Troopers said Bryan M. Wagner, 22, of McAdoo, was driving a 2006 Ford Ranger northbound when a 17-year-old female from Weatherly, driving a 2004 Pontiac Grand Am, pulled out of a driveway. The two vehicles collided, causing disabling damages to both vehicles.
Wagner was injured and taken to St. Luke’s Miners Campus in Coaldale. The teen was not injured.
Troopers cited the teen for the incident.