On June 13, at approximately 2:30 a.m., State Police responded to a one-vehicle crash on Topton Road in Maxatawny Township.
The crash occurred as the driver, Bryan Berlew, age 33, of Topton, was traveling south on Topton road, rounding a right hand curve. Berlew traveled off the left side of the roadway and struck a utility pole with the front end of the vehicle, which then overturned and struck a tree. After striking the tree, the vehicle continued to roll until coming to an uncontrolled rest on its roof facing west.
Berlew was transported to Lehigh Valley Cedar Crest by Topton Ambulance for a suspected serious injury. Topton Fire Company and Topton EMS assisted on scene.
Upon further investigation, it was discovered that Berlew was under the influence. The driver has been charged in the incident.
One-vehicle crash on Mill Creek Road
On June 16, State Police responded to a one-vehicle crash that occurred on Mill Creek Road, in Maxatawny Township, at approximately 4:20 p.m.
The crash occurred as the driver, Ross Breidegam, age 23, of Mertztown, was traveling south on Mill Creek Road, which is a two-laned road with a dividing double-yellow line and low shoulders. The driver entered the left-hand curve in the area of 79 Mill Creek Road at too high a speed to safely negotiate the curve, given the wet road conditions at the time.
The driver then exited the roadway off the southbound shoulder and struck landscaping material in the front yard of 79 Mill Creek Road. The vehicle came to a final rest at the point of impact, which was approximately 30 feet from the roadway.
No injuries were reported as a result of this crash. The driver was cited for the incident.
Driver crashes on Old Topton Road
On June 16 at approximately 3 p.m., State Police responded to a one-vehicle crash on Old Topton Road, at its intersection with Gabriella Drive, in Longswamp Township.
The crash occurred as the driver, Laurie Smith, age 34, of Topton, was traveling north on Old Topton Road. The roadway in that area is a two-laned road with low shoulders. The travel lanes are divided by a double-yellow line. The roadway curves hard to the east in the area of the crash and changes from a north/south orientation to an east/west orientation.
As Smith entered that curve, the vehicle was traveling at too high a speed to negotiate the curve successfully. As a result, the vehicle caught some of the grass of the shoulder and caused Smith to lose control of the vehicle.
The vehicle then exited the roadway off the northbound shoulder and struck a utility pole. The pole was sheared in half, and the top half of the pole was left hanging out over the roadway, supported in the air by the still-attached wires.
Topton Fire Department assisted at the scene with traffic control and safety concerns stemming from the downed wires.
The driver was uninjured, and was cited as a result of the incident.
Police investigate hit and run on Walnuttown Road
State Police are investigating a hit and run vehicle crash that occurred on June 24 between 10:30 and 11:15 p.m., at 123 Walnuttown Road, in Ruscombmanor Township.
An unknown vehicle failed to negotiate a left hand turn and traveled off the right hand side of the roadway, striking several small trees. After striking the trees, the unknown vehicle fled the scene in an unknown direction.
Anyone with information regarding this incident, please contact PSP Reading at 610-378-4011 and reference incident #PA 16355024.
