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State police at Frackville - crashes

State police at Frackville reported on the following crashes investigated by troopers in Schuylkill County:

• A two-vehicle crash was reported at 7:12 p.m. on Aug. 6 along Route 443 (Summer Mountain Road), near Hope Avenue, in East Brunswick Township. Troopers said Wayne W. Wassmer, 64, of Andreas, driving a 2007 Chevrolet Impala, was exiting the parking lot of the Dollar General Store to go eastbound when he failed to see a 2021 Dodge Ram 1500 driven by Keith A. Henn, 62, of Hamburg, traveling westbound. Henn could not avoid a collision and collided with the Impala.

Wassmer and his passenger, Lynn D. Wassmer, 65, same address, sustained suspected minor injuries and were transported to St. Luke’s Miners Campus in Coaldale. Henn and his passenger, Mary L. Henn, 63, same address, were not injured.

Wassmer was cited for the crash.

• A one-vehicle crash was reported at 4:32 p.m. on Aug. 6 along Route 54 (Pine Creek Drive), in Rush Township. Police said the driver is facing a driving under the influence charge. Troopers said a 32-year-old woman from Shamokin, who they declined to identify, was operating a 2011 Ford Focus eastbound in Barnesville and approaching a work zone for a bridge project. She missed a left curve and went onto the right berm. Her vehicle then struck several small traffic warning signs, then hit a crash attenuator affixed to a Jersey barrier. After impact the Focus spun clockwise and slid across both lanes of travel, coming to rest facing north in the westbound lane.

The driver suffered an injury when thrown into the windshield and was taken to St. Luke’s Miners Hospital, Coaldale by Ryan Township ambulance. Damages were severe to the vehicle, which was towed.

A one-vehicle crash was reported at 7:28 a.m. on July 30 along Burma Road in Blythe Township. Troopers said Jacob T. Vermilyea, 22, of Catskill, New York, was driving a 2021 Chrysler Pacifica eastbound when he fell asleep at the wheel. The vehicle went onto the berm and struck an embankment, then traveled northeast along the embankment striking several downed trees before coming to rest.

A passenger, Derrick T. Frazier, 57, of Troy, New York, sustained a suspected minor injury and was taken to the Lehigh Valley Hospital East, Pottsville.

Vermilyea, who was not injured, was cited for the crash.

• A one-vehicle crash was reported at 3:30 a.m. on July 31 along Route 61 in Blythe Township. Kelsey R. Leonhardt, 30, of Saint Clair, was driving a 2016 Hyundai Elantra southbound near Mall Road, when she fell asleep at the wheel. The vehicle went onto the west berm where it struck a tree, traveled down an embankment and rolled onto its roof, coming to rest at the bottom of the embankment.

Leonhardt was not injured. She was cited for the crash

• A motorcyclist was involved in a crash at 12:01 p.m. on Aug. 2 along Winfield Drive in Blythe Township. Troopers said Joseph J. Leskin, 70, of Brockton, was driving a 2000 Kawasaki Voyager II eastbound when a deer entered the road in front of him. The bike struck the deer with its front wheel and windshield. Leskin pulled the bike to a controlled stop on the right shoulder. Leskin was not injured.

• Troopers said a crash occurred at 3:55 p.m. on July 31 at Route 309 and Lofty Road in Kline Township. Troopers said Jayne McLaughlin, 68, of Red Hook, New York, and Joseph Reilly Jr., 42, of Atco, New Jersey, were both southbound on 309 with McLaughlin in the right lane and Reilly in the left lane.

As both approached the intersection with Lofty Road, McLaughlin turned into the left lane directly in front of Reilly. McLaughlin was attempting to make a U-turn onto Plant Road, troopers said.

Reilly’s 2001 Ford F-150 truck hit McLaughlin’s 2017 Honda CRV. Both vehicles came to rest in the northbound lane.

McLaughlin and passenger, Barry Ramage, 64, of Red Hook, and Reilly and his passenger, Danielle Kircher, 45, of Haddonfield, New Jersey, were all injured and taken to the Lehigh Valley Hospital, Hazleton Campus. Troopers were assisted at the scene by volunteers of the McAdoo and Tresckow fire companies and McAdoo ambulance. Both vehicles had to be towed.

A crash was reported at 1:29 p.m. on July 23 at the intersection of Route 895 and Hawk Mountain Road in East Brunswick Township. Troopers said a 17-year-old man from Schuylkill Haven was driving a 2010 Chevrolet Equinox northbound on Hawk Mountain Road and was stopped at a stop sign while Sierra D. Klinger, 20, of Tamaqua, was driving a 2014 Chevrolet Malibu eastbound on Route 895. The teen driver proceeded into the intersection attempting to make a left turn. Klinger attempted to avoid a collision by swerving her vehicle but was unable to and a collision occurred.

There were no injuries. Troopers were assisted at the scene by New Ringgold Fire Company volunteers.

The teen driver was cited for the crash.

A crash occurred at 9:06 p.m. on Aug. 7 along Interstate 81 in Kline Township. Troopers said Manuel D. Landa Zuart, 33, of Hazleton, was driving a 2008 Saturn southbound in the right lane when a vehicle came up behind him at a high rate of speed. The vehicle struck the right rear corner of the Saturn forcing it toward the centerline. After impact the other driver accelerated again, striking the Saturn a second time forcing it into the left lane.

The other driver continued south with Landa Zuart following. The fleeing driver exited the interstate at the Delano Exit and went into the village of Delano taking turns and alleys to elude the other driver. Landa Zuart eventually lost sight of the other vehicle.

Landa Zuart then drove to the Lehigh Valley Hospital- Hazleton for treatment of a knee injury. Landa Zuart had five passengers including Ana K. Maza Grado, 32, of Mahanoy City, and four juveniles. Landa Zuart was the only one injured.

Troopers said the fleeing vehicle is believed to be a Ford Escape, 2001 to 2007 model. Anyone with information concerning this incident is asked to call troopers at 570-874-5300.

• A one-vehicle crash was reported at 5 a.m. on July 24 along Interstate 81 in Foster Township. Troopers said Candace Y. Sykes, 35, of Baltimore, Maryland, was driving a 1994 Chevrolet Suburban, northbound when the vehicle veered off the road into the median, a heavily wooded area with a down slope. The vehicle struck several trees and then rolled over several times before coming to rest on the passenger side.

Sykes was able to exit the vehicle and crawled up the embankment to the roadway. At 9:14 a.m. a passing motorist saw Sykes lying near the guide rail and called for help. She was taken to the Geisinger Medical Center, Danville. The investigation is continuing.