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State police at Bethlehem - crashes

State police at the Bethlehem barracks reported the following crashes:

• Four people from Phillipsburg, New Jersey, were involved in a two-vehicle crash at 8:16 p.m. Aug. 20 on Route 22 in Hanover Township, police said.

They were identified as Egypt Barnes, 21, the driver of one of the vehicles; Enrique Rodriguez, 18; Samaya Singletary, 18; and Devonte S. Martin, 18. Police said they refused medical services transports from the scene.

Police said the crash occurred when Barnes was driving a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox west and attempted to merge lanes, at which time the vehicle hit a 2012 Honda Pilot driven by Russell K. DiPiazza, 38, of Slatington.

Police said the Equinox went out of control, slid onto the right shoulder and struck an embankment.

The Equinox had was towed from the scene, while the Pilot had functional damages and was able to be driven from it.

Barnes was cited after the crash, according to police.

• Jayleigh Morales Gillmeyer, 18, of Slatington, was cited for failure to drive at a safe speed after a one-vehicle crash at 10 p.m. July 28 on Mauch Chunk Road, North Whitehall Township. No one was injured in the incident.

Police said she was driving a 2007 Acura TSX south when she lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle went onto the west median and struck fencing on a property in the 3600 block of Mauch Chunk Road. The vehicle was towed from the scene.

• The driver of a vehicle that struck another one at 12:34 p.m. July 22 on Route 873 in Washington Township was cited for following too closely.

Police did not identify the drivers but said no one was injured in the incident in which damage to both vehicles was termed minor.

They said a 2013 Honda Pilot struck a 2025 Ford Explorer that had slowed due to a stopped, uninvolved vehicle in the southbound lane.

• Police said Christopher Cassel, 36, of Kutztown, is facing charges of driving under the influence of alcohol following a one-vehicle crash on May 1 at the intersection of Route 309 and Newside Road, Heidelberg Township.

He had a 7-year-old girl from North Whitehall Township in the vehicle at the time, police said, and was also found to be in possession of a 9 mm Taurus handgun while not having a license to carry a firearm.

Police said he was driving a 2013 Chevrolet Silverado that struck a concrete bridge barrier, after which police said they observed multiple signs of impairment. His blood-alcohol level was later determined to be 0.147.

Police said the girl was evaluated for suspected minor injuries.