News
Truck invovled in accident hung off of I-81 bridge
TREMONT — A Mechanicsburg teenager was killed Monday morning in a crash in Frailey Township that closed State Route 209 for about three hours and left the cab of a truck hanging over a bridge that crosses Interstate 81.
BY FRANK ANDRUSCAVAGE
TIMES • SHAMROCK WRITER
fandruscavage@republicanherald.com
TREMONT — A Mechanicsburg teenager was killed Monday morning in a crash in Frailey Township that closed State Route 209 for about three hours and left the cab of a truck hanging over a bridge that crosses Interstate 81.
Jason Jefferson Martin, 18, was pronounced dead at the scene by a doctor from Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, who came to the scene in the Life Flight helicopter. The helicopter landed just feet from the crash site.
The driver of the 1994 Mack tri-axle dump truck, Donald White, 52, of Ringtown, suffered non-life threatening injuries and was taken to Schuylkill Medical Center by Tremont EMS.
State police Trooper Gary Williard of the Schuylkill Haven station said the crash occurred about 11:15 a.m. as Martin was traveling north on I-81 and exited the highway at the Tremont exit.
From the off ramp, Willard said, Martin entered Route 209 and drove into the path of the truck that was being driven west by White.
The truck struck the driver’s side of Martin’s 1999 Dodge Intrepid and pushed it forward and across the eastbound lane.
The car came to rest against a bridge that crosses I-81 and the truck flipped onto its passenger’s side with the cab portion hanging over the concrete side of the bridge.
Rescuers with the Ravine Fire Company worked for more than a half hour to free Martin from the wreckage. He was treated inside the West Schuylkill Advanced Life Support ambulance from Tremont, but was later pronounced dead there.
The crash closed the highway until about 2:30 p.m. as crews removed stone and dirt from the roadway. The truck was hauling the material to a nearby cogeneration plant.
Heavy duty wreckers from Hammer’s Towing, Minersville, and Motter’s Towing, Pine Grove, removed the truck from the wall of the bridge and then towed both vehicles away.
A portion of the bridge, including heavy metal rail poles and a section of guiderail, were damaged in the crash.
The radiator of the truck was found behind a guiderail off I-81 below the crash and sections of pipe from the bridge were found on the interstate and in the median that separates the north and southbound lanes.
Firefighters and fire police from Joliett, Donaldson and Tremont assisted at the scene, provided traffic control and keeping curious motorists, who stopped to look, away from the site.
PennDOT crews were also at the site to help clean the spilled load and to inspect the damage done to the bridge and guiderail.
White celebrated his 52nd birthday on Monday, his brother said at the scene.
Jason Jefferson Martin, 18, was pronounced dead at the scene by a doctor from Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, who came to the scene in the Life Flight helicopter. The helicopter landed just feet from the crash site.
The driver of the 1994 Mack tri-axle dump truck, Donald White, 52, of Ringtown, suffered non-life threatening injuries and was taken to Schuylkill Medical Center by Tremont EMS.
State police Trooper Gary Williard of the Schuylkill Haven station said the crash occurred about 11:15 a.m. as Martin was traveling north on I-81 and exited the highway at the Tremont exit.
From the off ramp, Willard said, Martin entered Route 209 and drove into the path of the truck that was being driven west by White.
The truck struck the driver’s side of Martin’s 1999 Dodge Intrepid and pushed it forward and across the eastbound lane.
The car came to rest against a bridge that crosses I-81 and the truck flipped onto its passenger’s side with the cab portion hanging over the concrete side of the bridge.
Rescuers with the Ravine Fire Company worked for more than a half hour to free Martin from the wreckage. He was treated inside the West Schuylkill Advanced Life Support ambulance from Tremont, but was later pronounced dead there.
The crash closed the highway until about 2:30 p.m. as crews removed stone and dirt from the roadway. The truck was hauling the material to a nearby cogeneration plant.
Heavy duty wreckers from Hammer’s Towing, Minersville, and Motter’s Towing, Pine Grove, removed the truck from the wall of the bridge and then towed both vehicles away.
A portion of the bridge, including heavy metal rail poles and a section of guiderail, were damaged in the crash.
The radiator of the truck was found behind a guiderail off I-81 below the crash and sections of pipe from the bridge were found on the interstate and in the median that separates the north and southbound lanes.
Firefighters and fire police from Joliett, Donaldson and Tremont assisted at the scene, provided traffic control and keeping curious motorists, who stopped to look, away from the site.
PennDOT crews were also at the site to help clean the spilled load and to inspect the damage done to the bridge and guiderail.
White celebrated his 52nd birthday on Monday, his brother said at the scene.
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