A car crash early Saturday morning on Route 22 led to multiple collisions on the highway and left a teenage driver dead, Pennsylvania State Police said.
The teen was pronounced dead by the Lehigh County coroner’s office at the crash site on Route 22 East at the Route 309 interchange. The driver has not yet been identified, and troopers would only say the victim was under the age of 18.At about 4:45 a.m. Saturday, the teen was reportedly speeding in a 2013 Hyundai Elantra in the left lane of Route 22 East, trying to pass a tractor trailer traveling in the right lane, state police said.
After passing the truck, the Elantra began to spin on the highway and struck the driver’s side fuel tank of the truck, state police said.
The Elantra came to a stop on the dashed lines between the left and right lanes on Route 22 East, and did not have its lights on, troopers said.
The teen driver got out of the car and was standing in the left lane of the highway when a Peterbilt tractor-trailer approached in the right lane of Route 22 East, according to state police. Troopers said the tractor-trailer driver swerved to the left to avoid hitting the Elantra, and struck the teen driver.
The Peterbilt was stopped in the left lane/shoulder of Route 22, when a third truck traveled up to the scene.
The third truck driver also swerved to avoid hitting the Elantra, but hit the car before striking the Peterbilt truck, troopers said.
Police were called shortly before 5 a.m. for the crashes, and Route 22 East was shut down as they investigated the fatal crash.
The Elantra could been seen on the right shoulder of the highway, and two of the trucks farther up on Route 22. The vehicles were all cleared before 10 a.m. and Route 22 East reopened a little after that.