State police report on area crashes
State Police reported on the following crashes.
State police at the Pocono barracks reported on a two-vehicle crash that occurred at 3:52 a.m. on Dec. 6 along the northeast extension of the turnpike in East Penn Township, Carbon County. Troopers said the crash occurred just prior to the beginning of a construction pattern prohibiting vehicles from entering the right lane. A Lehigh tunnel maintenance worker, holding a stop sign, stopped all southbound traffic so that the pattern could be picked up. Moctar O. Hmoud, 48, of Erlanger, Kentucky, operating a 2021 Freightliner tractor with trailer, was stopped in the left lane of traffic when Franklin R. Soto Popote, 53, of Long Pond, driving a 2008 Honda Civic, approached in the right lane. Soto Popote could not stop and his vehicle slid into and struck the back of the trailer portion of the rig.
No one was injured. The Civic was towed.
Troopers cited Soto Popote for driving a vehicle at a unsafe speed.
• A Carbon County driver was involved in a crash in Lehigh County in which he was cited.
State police at Fogelsville said the crash occurred at 6:10 p.m. on Dec. 4 at the intersection of Werleys Corner Road and Holbens Valley Road, in Weisenberg Township. Troopers said Derek W. Walck, 28, of Lehighton, was driving a 2013 Hyunadi Elantra southbound on Werleys Corner Road while James R. Vaughn, 44, of Allentown, driving a 1996 Chevrolet CK1500 truck, was westbound on Holbens Valley Road. Walck came to a stop at the intersection and then proceeded straight through the intersection and struck the truck with his vehicle. Upon impact the Elantra spun clockwise and came to final rest on Holbens Valley Road. The truck came to rest on Holbens Valley Road.
Walck reported a cut to his left hand but refused medical attention. Vaughn was not injured. Both vehicles were towed.
Walck was cited for the crash.
• State police at Lehighton reported investigating a one-vehicle crash on Dec. 12 at 8:38 p.m. along Route 903 in Penn Forest Township, Carbon County.
Troopers said Stephen G. Kurdilla, 33, of Coaldale, was driving a 2018 Kia Forte southbound when a deer entered the road in front of him. He applied his brakes but struck the deer in his travel lane.
Kurdilla was not injured.