Carbon crash

State police at Fern Ridge reported investigating a one-vehicle crash about 3:06 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 2, along SR903 in Penn Forest Township, Carbon County. It was one of five crashes reported by troopers.

Troopers said Daniel A. Drakeford, 31, of Summit Hill, was driving a 2000 Chrysler Concorde northbound when due to weather conditions the vehicle went off the west side of the road and struck a ditch. Drakeford and passenger Jennifer M. McGuire, 29, of Jim Thorpe, were not injured.

Damages to the undercarriage disabled the vehicle which had to be towed, troopers added.

Troopers probed a crash about 10:36 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 1, along SR115 at the intersection with State Road, in Chestnuthill Township, Monroe County. Troopers identified the drivers as Carissa L. Campagna, 17, of East Stroudsburg, driving a 2002 Subaru, and John P. Kaqlata, 70, of Bethlehem, operating a 2008 Chevrolet Malibu. Details of how the crash occurred were not included in the state police report.

A crash was reported on Dec. 26 at 7:55 p.m. along Interstate 80 in Kidder Township, Carbon County. Troopers said Jonathan Baez, 39, of West Hazleton, was driving a 2003 Ford Explorer eastbound when he lost control due to traveling too fast for conditions, troopers said. The vehicle traveled onto the median and rotated counter-clockwise until it struck an embankment with its right side. After impact the vehicle came to rest facing southwest in the median. Baez was not injured.

Baez told troopers he lost control while attempting to pass a tractor-trailer rig.

He was cited for driving a vehicle at an (un) safe speed.

Another crash occurred along I80 in Kidder Township on Dec. 11 about 11:10 p.m. Troopers said Olger G. Quiros, 43, of Paterson, N.J., was driving a 1999 Chevrolet Blazer westbound when she lost control on an icy patch. The vehicle began to turn clockwise and went onto the south shoulder where the driver's side tires hit soft dirt. This caused the vehicle to roll over, and continue to roll onto the driver's side where it came to rest.

Quiros and her passenger, Maribel D. Cintron, 42, of Hazleton, were not injured.

A one-vehicle crash was reported about 5:10 a.m. on Dec. 12 along I80 in Tunkhannock Township, Monroe County. Troopers said Marc Melendez, 40, of Canadensis, was driving a 1998 Chevrolet Blazer eastbound when he lost control due to slippery conditions. The Blazer turned clockwise and went onto the north shoulder where it entered the median then rolled over once and came to rest on its wheels.

Melendez was not injured.