State police at Fern Ridge investigate crashes
State police at Fern Ridge reported on the following crashes investigated by troopers.
• A one-vehicle crash was reported at 4:15 p.m. on June 30 along Burger Hollow Road in Chestnuthill Township, Monroe County. Troopers said Giovanni Echeverria, 25, of Pocono Lake, was driving a 2013 Ford F-150 truck eastbound at a high rate of speed when he claimed a “phantom” vehicle came into his lane of travel causing him to swerve off the left side of the road to avoid a collision. No injuries were reported and the truck was towed.
• A one-vehicle crash was reported at 11:29 a.m. on June 25 in Chestnuthill Township. Troopers said Jane M. Waszo, 82, of Brodheadsville, was driving a 2014 Honda CRV and attempting to park in a bank parking lot. She accelerated instead of braking in entering the spot, and her vehicle collided with a building staircase causing disabling damages to the vehicle. Waszo sustained minor injuries and was treated at the scene by West End ambulance personnel. The vehicle was towed.
• A one-vehicle crash occurred at 1:57 p.m. on June 30 along Route 715 in Jackson Township, Monroe County. Troopers said Richard K. Stella, 42, of Pocono Lake, was driving a 2020 Ford F-150 truck northbound when a deer entered the road in front of him. He swerved his vehicle to avoid the animal and drove off onto the right berm where the truck struck a tree. On impact the truck caught fire, which spread throughout the front end of the truck.
Stella was able to get out of the vehicle without assistance and was not injured. The truck had to be towed.
• A hit-and-run crash was reported on June 28 at 5:15 p.m. along Route 8002 in Tobyhanna Township, Monroe County. Troopers said Daniel J. Leeper, 40, of Mount Pocono, was stopped in his 2020 Mercedes-Benz 350 at a stop sign at the off-ramp to Interstate 80. A vehicle approached in the same direction and the driver failed to stop, striking the rear of Leeper’s vehicle. The driver of the other vehicle then waved to Leeper and left the scene without providing information.
Leeper and his passengers, Melody Leeper, 40, and a 2-year-old girl in a child safety seat, were not injured. Damages were minor to the vehicle.
The fleeing vehicle was a black Mercedes-Benz SUV with New York registration.