Serious injury in Monroe crash

A Monroe County driver was seriously injured in a one-vehicle crash that occurred about 11:30 p.m. Tuesday along SR209 in Hamilton Township.

State police at Fern Ridge said Richard J. Pollardo, 40, of Stroudsburg, was driving a 2004 Toyota Corolla northbound at an excessive rate of speed when he failed to negotiate a curve. The car traveled across the double yellow line and onto the shoulder where it impacted with a utility pole.

After impact the car spun counter-clockwise and collided with a large tree. After impacting with the tree the car spun clockwise and came to rest facing west.

Troopers said it took members of the West End Fire Company, ambulance and rescue personnel about 50 minutes to free Pollardo from his vehicle. He was then flown by PennStar helicopter to St. Luke's Hospital, Fountain Hill. The road was closed for five hours due to the pole being severed and wires down, troopers added.