5 vehicles crash occurred on State Route 33 near MM 20.6 in Hamilton Township, Monroe County, Pennsylvania, resulting in 3 dead people on Wednesday, Mart 1, 2023. State Route 33 was closed in both directions for most of the day between Wind Gap in Northampton County and Saylorsburg in Monroe County.
Pennsylvania State Police in Stroudsburg stated that they were called at 10:35 am because of the multi-vehicle traffic accident in Hamilton Township, Pennsylvania. PSP Troop N Public Information Officer Anthony Petroski made a press release with information that a tractor-trailer was driving southbound on Route 33 near Saylorsburg Exit. The tractor-trailer collided with a second semi-trailer, pickup truck, and two passenger cars.
The truck went off the western berm and hit an embarkment. From that collision, the tractor went in the opposite direction and reentered southbound Route 33, veering southeast, and hitting a guardrail in the center median. The tractor then entered the northbound lanes of Route 33, but in the opposite direction from other vehicles.
Because of moving in the wrong direction, the tractor-trailer collided with the semi-trailer. On the path of the tractor-trailer moving in the wrong way was 3 more vehicles. The first vehicle stopped on the right shoulder of the northbound lane.
The second vehicle collided with the tractor-trailer and stopped underneath the trailer facing southwest. The third vehicle stopped in the right lane facing northwest. The last vehicle stopped underneath the tractor-trailer, facing north.
Coroner Thomas Yanac Jr. stated that the driver of one passenger car, Bryan Franco, 25, of Hellertown was pronounced dead in Lehigh Valley Hospital-Pocono in East Stroudsburg. His car ended up underneath the tractor-trailer.
Lehigh County Coroner Daniel Buglio stated that the second injured person is the passenger car driver, Samantha Crich, 40, from Wilkes-Barre. Her car was also under the tractor-trailer. She was transported to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest, Lehigh County where she was pronounced dead at 10:14 pm on Wednesday. The cause of the death was multiple blunt force injuries from the crash. Her death was categorized as an accident.
The third victim was a 14-year-old girl from Wilkes-Barre, who was in the front seat and was pronounced dead on the scene. All autopsies were planned for the next day.
All vehicles involved in this crash were severely damaged and had to be removed from the crash site. Route 33 north was reopened at 8:33 pm.
The cause of 5 vehicle crash on State Route 33 with 3 dead people is under investigation by PSP.
