Arthur A. Applegate, a local truck driver who has maneuvered Route 93 with a full trailer for decades, knows how dangerous the Broad Mountain is for trucks.

But, the 33-year veteran said that rig operators need to respect the dozens of warning signs that line Route 93 leading up to the mountain that descends into Nesquehoning."In all the years I have driven that road, I have never lost my brakes," Applegate said as he stood along Route 209 Friday watching crews free a tractor-trailer that sped through the intersection and collided with a shed. "I stop at the top."Applegate also said that he uses his jake brakes and down shifts to guarantee that he makes it safely to the bottom."The jake brakes hold me down enough," he said, "even with a full trailer."The problem, Applegate said, is that out-of-area drivers don't realize the steep grade of the mountain when they are approaching it.Nesquehoning police Chief Sean Smith echoed Applegate's thoughts."Local drivers are familiar with the grade and stop where they are supposed to," Smith said. "Non-locals dismiss the signs."He added that it is not uncommon for rig operators to choose taking back roads like Route 93 instead of highways like Route 309, which is not as hilly.Beaver Meadows also has a steep hill, Smith noted, meaning that a truck's brakes are already heated from braking on that hill so if he doesn't stop at the top of the Broad Mountain, the combination of both acts could prove to be deadly for the driver or other motorists once the truck reaches the routes 93-209 intersection.Smith said that local law enforcement as well as the state police have been working to try and curb runaway trucks from happening."We have had more enforcement up there where police are watching and pulling over trucks if they don't stop (at the designated area on the top of the Broad Mountain)," Smith said. "We are working on it and trying to make it as safe as possible."Unfortunately, their increased efforts aren't enough to stop all irresponsible rig drivers from ignoring the signs thinking that they will be OK.Smith said that state Rep. Doyle Heffley has reached out and the state and local communities are looking to find a solution to this growing problem.In recent months, a number of trucks either lost their brakes coming down Route 93 and utilized the runaway truck ramp half-way down the mountain, or barreled through the intersection and rolled or crashed into Dennis Creitz's property.An option that Smith thinks may help deter some truck drivers from blowing past the stop sign at the top of the mountain include digital traffic enforcement cameras similar to those found on the Pennsylvania Turnpike.If a driver drives under the camera without first pulling over and stopping, the camera would take a picture of the license plate and a fine would be issued."We don't know what else to do," Smith said, noting that this may or may not be a feasible option for the area."I would like to see all truck traffic banned from Route 93," he added."We're lucky there hasn't been a fatality yet with how busy this intersection is."