Charges against two of the three tractor-trailer drivers who caused crashes in Nesquehoning over a three-day period earlier this year have been filed.

Nesquehoning Police announced the criminal charges against Yiadom Boayke, 32, of 111 Freight St., Apt. 19, Pawtucket, Rhode Island, and Phalante Dutervil, 50, of 920 Spofford Ave. Apt. 8, Elizabeth, New Jersey, Friday.Boayke is charged with 14 violations on his tractor-trailer, recklessly endangering another person, not having insurance, reckless and careless driving, failing to stop at a stop sign, two counts of causing a crash and four others for his part in the first crash on March 31.Dutervil is charged with 15 violations on his tractor-trailer, recklessly endangering another person, not having insurance, reckless and careless driving, failing to stop at a stop sign and speeding after he lost control of his rig and crashed in the same area on April 1.Nesquehoning police have been investigating the incidents since the string of rig crashes occurred.First crashIn the March 31 case, Boayke, who works for the trucking company Boat Auto Transport LLC in Rhode Island, told police that he stopped at the top of Route 93 before descending the Broad Mountain into Nesquehoning, the affidavit states. But several witnesses at the scene said that despite 38 signs warning of the steep 2¼-mile decline, he did not, and the rig's brakes were already smoking before the hill."By the time the driver hit the bottom of the mountain, he was going between 65 and 75 mph," Nesquehoning Police Chief Sean Smith said on April 1.As Boayke attempted to maneuver his rig, which was carrying eight brand-new limited edition Jeeps, valued at approximately $300,000, for delivery at various dealerships around the region, the vehicle lost its brakes and barreled through the routes 93-209 intersection. Boayke tried to make a sharp left onto Route 209 but rolled the vehicle and its contents.Emergency crews were on scene for five hours cleaning up the wreckage. No one was injured in the crash. A passenger in the rig, identified as Frimpong Boayke, was asleep in the sleeper cab when the crash occurred.Smith completed an initial check of the rig to see if a mechanical failure caused the crash. He observed that there were multiple frame cracks on the bottom of the trailer that were covered in rust and the frame of the trailer was rotted and holes were visible.Fern Ridge State Police troopers from the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program completed a full inspection of the vehicle and determined that Boayke had two log books that provided false records, failed to stop at the properly posted truck pull-off, the vehicle had eight of 10 brakes out of service on both the rig and trailer and two automatic air brake units failed to compensate for wear.On April 7, Smith received a copy of Dennis Creitz's surveillance video of the crash. Creitz owns property directly across the intersection from the bottom of Route 93 in Nesquehoning.The video showed that two school buses passed through the area approximately 2 minutes before the crash and that the tractor-trailer narrowly missed hitting a minivan that was at the intersection at the time.Second crashIn the April 1 crash, Dutervil, who drives for Nurain LLC of Urbandale, Iowa, also failed to stop at the top of the Broad Mountain at the designated truck pull-off before attempting to come into the borough.By the time the truck reached the bottom, the brakes on Dutervil's rig were failing and he plowed through the intersection, this time, veering right and crashing into a tool shed at the back of Creitz's property across the street before hitting an embankment. Creitz was working in the garage on the property at the time of the crash.Like Boayke, Dutervil initially told police that he had stopped at the designated truck pull-off on the top of Route 93, but witnesses said that he never slowed the vehicle down before trying to maneuver the hill. He then admitted that he did not stop or even gear down before coming down the mountain.Again, no injuries were reported in this crash.Nesquehoning emergency crews were on scene for just over two hours to clear the scene.Fern Ridge State Police troopers also completed a full inspection of the vehicle and determined that Dutervil's log book was not current, he failed to retain the previous seven days record of duty, did not stop at the posted truck pull-off before causing the crash, and that the tractor-trailer had four brakes out of adjustment, four brakes that were not operating, the automatic air brake system failed to compensate for wear and the rig was not properly marked with regulation USDOT.Like the first crash, on April 7, Creitz provided surveillance footage of the crash.The video showed that an SUV passed through the intersection two seconds before the tractor-trailer sped through. The rig missed Creitz's residence and garage by 8 feet.No charges announcedNo charges against the driver of the third tractor-trailer crash, which happened on the runaway truck ramp on Route 93 on April 2, have been announced by Nesquehoning police to date.The driver, who has not been identified, was injured following the early morning crash.Just like the first two, Smith said the driver didn't stop at the truck pull-off before attempting to drive down the Broad Mountain.He lost his brakes and was able to turn onto the 825-foot runaway truck ramp, but the gravel ramp, which was designed to allow speeding vehicles to "sink" and gradually stop, failed and the rig sped up the ramp and continued about 50 yards into the woods before getting wedged between two pine trees.Again emergency crews from Nesquehoning were called to clear the scene. This time, they had to first extricate the driver, who was still inside the cab of the rig when they arrived.He was taken to the hospital for injuries he sustained during the crash.