Motorists traveling along Route 209 at the intersection of Route 93 in Nesquehoning Thursday morning saw what appeared to be a multivehicle crash involving a tractor-trailer and numerous vehicles.

The rig lay on its side against the bank, gouge marks scraped deep into the asphalt across Route 209 that showed the final seconds of what was a high-speed descent from the steep Broad Mountain before the truck rolled.On Route 93, the grass next to the on-ramp was torn up in places. Eight brand-new Jeeps, some still attached to the carrier of the rig, lay smashed alongside the road, totaled before their tires ever had the opportunity to hit the pavement.When scanner reports came in just after 8 a.m., callers believed the rig had struck a number of cars traveling through the area.The wreckageBut as Nesquehoning police and fire departments arrived, it was learned that the chaotic scene was a single-vehicle crash involving approximately $300,000 worth of Jeep vehicles to be delivered to car dealerships. And miraculously, no one was injured.Nesquehoning police Chief Sean Smith, who was first to arrive, said he was preparing himself for multiple fatalities when he saw the scene.Once it was learned that the rig was a car carrier transporting eight vehicles, the investigation turned to the driver of the truck from Boat Auto Transport LLC of 111 Freight St., Apt. 19, Pawtucket, Rhode Island.Smith said he found the driver, Boakye Yiadom, 32, whose address is the same as the trucking company's, and a passenger who had been asleep in the sleeper cab of the rig at the time of the crash, shaken but uninjured.Several witnesses told Smith that they observed the truck blow through the truck stop at the top of the Broad Mountain, which is required for rigs to allow them to down shift, and was speeding as it descended Route 93 into the town."By the time the driver hit the bottom of the mountain, he was going between 65 and 75 mph," Smith said.Some witnesses also reported that they saw the rig's brakes smoking.Smith said that an initial inspection of the rig showed that two of the brakes on separate axles were not in service.Fern Ridge State Police troopers from the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program were called. They will be doing a full inspection of the vehicle today. Their findings will determine what charges will be filed against Yiadom.According to Maryland court records, Yiadom had two traffic violations in the state, one earlier this month, and one from last September. Violations included failure to display his ID marker and driving a combination of vehicles on the highway that exceeded the allowable axle weight of 34,000 pounds.In each case, Yiadom pleaded guilty and was fined.Smoke and dustDaniel Tristani, who lives on East Catawissa Street in the immediate area of the crash, said he didn't witness the rig rolling, but heard it as he was getting his daughter ready for the day."I was in my house ... and heard the sound of tires screeching then heard the bang," he said via Facebook. When he looked out his front window, he said he saw the smoke and dust flying.Tristani ran down the hill from his home to the scene after calling 911."When I got to the bottom and made the turn I thought at first it was a mass-casualty incident, until I realized that the (rig) was a car hauler (and) those Jeeps underneath were his cargo."Zenier Towing of Hazleton was called to help tow the vehicles from the scene, while the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation was called to inspect the road.Smith said six Jeeps were totaled and towed from the scene, while the remaining two, which were in the bottom portion of the cargo bed, remained inside the crumpled bed and were towed with the rig.Two wreckers neededIn addition, two heavy-duty commercial wreckers were involved in removing the tractor-trailer from the scene. The vehicles are all in a secured location for inspection.John Kleintop, general manager of Rentschler Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge-Ram in Slatington confirmed that three of the vehicles involved in the crash were headed to his dealership.Two of the vehicles were Jeep Cherokees, valued at $32,000 apiece, while the third was a Jeep Wrangler, valued at $43,000.He explained that the cars were already paid for by Rentschler before they were shipped. The dealership must now go back to the factory to ask for its money back.Kleintop said those vehicles will now be scrapped as a result of the crash and the carrier transporting the cars or its insurance provider will be responsible for the costs associated with the loss to the factory.Emergency personnel were at the crash site for six hours until the road was cleared just before 3 p.m.Assisting Nesquehoning police, in addition to state police, were Nesquehoning Hose Company, New Columbus Fire Company, Hauto Fire Company and Rush Township Fire Police.The intersection at routes 93 and 209 has been the site of a number of tractor-trailer crashes as a result of the steep grade coming off Route 93.In November, a trucker from Bethlehem escaped serious injury when he lost control of his rig after he lost his brakes while descending the mountain.During that incident, the rig, owned by Kritsak Trucking of Allentown, went straight through the intersection and took out a fence and damaged property owned by Dennis Creitz, who operates Creitz Tune Up Service and Auto Sales at the intersection.Reporter Terry Ahner contributed to this story.