Two people were taken to the hospital after the driver of a tractor-trailer crashed his rig into multiple vehicles this afternoon (Feb. 26, 2014) along southbound SR309 in borough of Tamaqua.
Just before 2:40 PM, emergency personnel were called to the intersection of North Railroad Street (SR309) and Elm Street for a report of a motor vehicle accident involving a sedan, sport utility vehicle (SUV) and tractor trailer. Witnesses on scene stated the tractor trailer didn’t stop after hitting the vehicles and continued south on SR309.
A few minutes later, emergency personnel were dispatched to the intersection of Cedar Street and Center Street (SR309) after the same tractor-trailer crashed into the back of a sport utility vehicle (SUV) stopped at the southbound stoplight. The impact pushed the SUV into the back of a pickup truck; which resulted in the pickup truck impacting the back of another vehicle.
The double accident, which stretched about a half-mile, occurred during Tamaqua’s normal busy afternoon traffic, resulting in a long traffic jam both north and south into the borough.
A PennSTAR helicopter landed at the parking lot of the Tamaqua Middle School School to transport the injured woman to a Lehigh Valley hospital.
Unofficial reports stated the driver of the tractor-trailer suffered a medical condition and was taken to the hospital as well, although that isn’t confirmed.
Tamaqua Police, firefighters and fire police could be seen work together to keep traffic moving through the borough.
“All the police and emergency responders did a fantastic job,” said Tamaqua Councilman Justin Startzel, who was in the area during the second accident.
Hope’s Towing and Ziegler’s Towing removed the disabled vehicles from the scene.
More information will be available later today or Thursday.

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(Times News story)
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 PHOTOS BELOW COURTESY OF JUSTIN STARTZEL:

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