Three people were killed on Route 33 in Monroe County on Wednesday in a five-vehicle crash involving two tractor-trailers. . .
Among them was Samantha Crich, 40, of Wilkes-Barre. . . died Wednesday at Lehigh Valley Health Network – Cedar Crest campus of multiple blunt force injuries caused by the crash.
Bryan Franco, 25, of Hellertown also was killed in the accident. . .
Yanac said the name of the third victim, a 14-year-old female from Wilkes-Barre, will not be identified due to her age. Victims identified in Route 33 tractor-trailer crash
Because the bottom of a truck is higher than the bumper of passenger vehicles, when there is a collision the smaller vehicle easily slides under the truck and the first point of impact is the windshield. Seatbelts, airbags, and car crumple zones do not function as intended in underride crashes —front, side, and rear — leaving passenger vehicle occupants vulnerable to life-threatening injuries.
Samantha Crich & Bryan Franco, Precious Ones Gone Too Soon
See Underride Crash Memorials posted here and at #STOPunderrides Tweets. To add photos or more information on this story or to add other underride crashes to be remembered, send an email to underridemap@gmail.com. Please use this Interactive Underride Crash Map Crash Location Input Form to provide us with accurate information . (Note: the map is currently not online; but we would keep the information for future updating and to aid in underride advocacy efforts.)
Support improving Underride Protection on trailers: Contact your legislators with this User-Friendly TAKE ACTION online tool.
Please sign this petition: Congress, Act Now To End Deadly Truck Underrides.
Note: In order to raise awareness and preserve the memories of underride victims — precious ones gone too soon — I have been writing memorial posts on what could potentially be underride crashes. I am not a crash reconstructionist, and I do not have all the facts on these crashes; but underride should be investigated as a potential factor in truck crash injuries and deaths.
We are asking that people send us crash reports for collisions with trucks which they suspect involved underride. Send them to marianne@annaleahmary.com. We will submit these as complaints to USDOT. Read more here: Launching a Campaign To Flood NHTSA With Underride Complaint Reports.
My grandfather was a truck driver his entire life. Drove to support his family, and as his kids had kids, would take us on runs with him to let us “see the country in a way unlike any other”. As a professional truck driver, he always believed that there should be some sort of safety equipment to prevent passenger cars from being able to travel under the trailer. Years ago they made the makers of trailers lower the bumpers on trailers for the same reason. Why they wouldn’t carry that same therory around the side of the truck is truly a mystery, and pop as a truck driver completely agreed. After all, not all crashes are head on or rear bumper incidents. I guess all we can hope is that eventually our government transportation authorities will look into this problem, hopefully before there is more useless loss of life. My dear friend Samantha and her daughter parrished in the crash on route 33 in the Lehigh valley in Pennsylvania. Such a senseless and heart breaking loss of a mother with young children including a toddler and a beautiful young girl who didn’t get the chance to truly experience the world and live her life to the fullest. The only solice in this situation is that mother and daughter will never have to know life without the other, but that doesn’t help those they left behind cope with the loss any easier.
Thinking of you and your friend’s family. Your words are so true. . . senseless and heart breaking loss, especially because it could have been prevented.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hzc9QBtYPQ
Lives changed forever in the blink of an eye.