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Police report on Lehigh County crashes

State police at Bethlehem reported on the following crashes investigated by troopers involving area drivers.

• A two-vehicle crash was reported at 9 p.m. on Jan. 24 along Route 309 in Heidelberg Township, Lehigh Valley. Troopers said Elmer M. Feller, 94, of Andreas, was northbound driving a 2006 Ford F250 truck when Francis D. Chieffo, 46, of Coopersburg, failed to yield to traffic and attempted to turn right onto 309. His 2019 Honda CRV collided with Feller’s vehicle.

No one was injured. Troopers cited Chieffo for the crash.

• A one-vehicle crash occurred at 2:35 a.m. on Jan. 27 along Route 873 in Washington Township, Lehigh County. Ralph H. Dietrich, 91, of Slatington, was driving a 2005 Hyundai Accent northbound when the vehicle struck a concrete culvert on the right berm.

Dietrich suffered a suspected minor injury and was taken to the Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest. The vehicle was towed.

• A one-vehicle crash was reported at 3:39 p.m. on Jan. 17 along Furnace Road in Washington Township. A 17-year-old female from Walnutport was driving a 2004 Volkswagen Jetta southbound and negotiating a right curve in the road. Due to her inexperienced and speed, troopers said, she lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle crossed over the center dividing line into the northbound lane and then crossed back over the southbound lane and onto the berm where it struck a tree.

The teen was injured and taken to LVH by Cetronia ambulance. She was cited for driving a vehicle at a unsafe speed.

• Another crash was reported in Washington Township on Jan. 26 at 4:30 p.m. along Mountain Road. Troopers said Jennifer L. Berger, 40, of Walnutport, was driving a 2005 Chevrolet Trailblazer northbound and going too fast for conditions when she lost control. The front bumper struck an embankment along the left berm, spun and struck the embankment a second time where it came to rest.

Berger and her passenger, Melissa M. Bernatovich, 19, of Walnutport, were taken to the LVH. The vehicle was towed.

She was cited for driving a vehicle at a unsafe speed.

• A Monroe County driver was involved in a crash on Jan. 5 along Route 22 in Bethlehem Township, Northampton County. Troopers said Michael R. Bowers, 19, of Gilbert, and Daniel Rakipi, 28, of Pittston, Luzerne County, were both traveling in the right lane. Bowers attempted to merge into the left lane and his 2014 Ford Focus struck Rakipi’s 2021 Freightliner tractor with trailer.

No one was injured. The Ford was towed.

• A Carbon County driver was involved in a one-vehicle crash on Jan. 24 at 5:37 p.m. along Route 873 in Washington Township, Lehigh County.

State police at Bethlehem said Steven E. Bollinger, 41, of Palmerton, was driving a 2006 Pontiac GTO southbound and began to accelerate. He lost control of the vehicle which Bollinger said he believed the GTO began to slide. The vehicle went onto the west berm and struck a ditch with the front end, spun a quarter turn clockwise, and came to rest facing west partially in the ditch and in the southbound lane.

Bollinger said he would seek his own medical attention for a suspected minor injury. The vehicle had to be towed.

Bollinger was cited for driving a vehicle at a unsafe speed.