Crashes investigated by state police
State police at Fern Ridge reported on crashes investigated by troopers.
Three crashes occurred on Tuesday.One occurred at 5:45 a.m. along Merwinsburg Road in Chestnuthill Township. Troopers said Roberto Acosta, 44, of Albrightsville, was driving a 2004 Dodge Ram truck southbound and negotiating a sweeping right curve when he lost control. The truck left the road and struck a large tree along the east berm with its front end. After hitting the tree, the truck rotated 180 degrees and came to rest in the middle of the road facing northeast.Acosta was not injured. The vehicle had to be towed. Troopers said there was freezing rain at the time of the crash.A one-vehicle crash occurred at 8:40 a.m. along Interstate 80 in Tunkhannock Township. Troopers said Rajankumar V. Shah, 29, of Wilkes-Barre, was driving a 2014 Honda Pilot eastbound and lost control due to the slush-covered road. The vehicle slid off onto the berm, rolled over onto its roof, and came to rest facing north off the road. Shah and his passenger, Devangi D. Patel, 28, of Mountain Top, were not injured.The third crash was the earliest of the day, at 2:25 a.m., along I-80 in Tunkhannock Township. Melvin Cabera, 22, of Hazleton, was westbound driving a 1999 BMW when he lost control. The car went onto the south shoulder and hit a roadside embankment and a tree with its undercarriage and front end.Cabrera was not injured. Troopers said there was freezing rain at the time of the crash. The vehicle had to be towed.Two crashes were reported on Dec. 1. At 11:38 a.m. Joseph Francis, 47, of Falls, Wyoming County, was southbound on Route 209 in Chestnuthill Township, and slowing down due to stopped traffic ahead. Michael J. Smith, 48, of Albrightsville, also southbound, did not slow down and the front of his 2003 Ford Explorer hit the rear of Francis' 2010 Ford Escape.Damages were minor to both vehicles and no injuries were reported.Smith was cited for following too closely, troopers said.The second crash occurred at 12:33 p.m. along Route 209 in Chestnuthill Township. Troopers said Crystal C. Morales, 17, of Saylorsburg, was pulling out of a local restaurant lot to go north and pulled into the path of Emily M. Donnini, 43, of Albrightsville, who was southbound. Donnini's 2009 Toyota Corolla struck Morales' 2009 ToyotaCorolla.Both drivers were injured and taken to Pocono Medical Center, East Stroudsburg, by West End ambulance.Both vehicles had to be towed. Morales was cited for the crash.