A truck driver from Williamstown, Dauphin County, was cited after police say he lost control of his vehicle while driving on I-78 west in Lower Saucon Township last month.
Interstate 78 bisects both Hellertown borough and Lower Saucon Township in Northampton County.(FILE PHOTO)
According to a report issued by Pennsylvania State Police at Belfast Wednesday, 64-year-old Kenneth A. Grimm was operating the truck at 8:45 a.m. May 11 when traffic on the highway began to slow due to an emergency response taking place on the side of the road.
Police said Grimm was traveling in the area of mile marker 66.6 when the slowdown occurred and “failed to maintain a safe following distance and operate the vehicle at a safe speed.”
The police report noted that Grimm “was also distracted by the emergency response in the right shoulder.”
With traffic slowing in the left lane, police said Grimm drove onto the left shoulder, where he subsequently lost control of the truck as it entered the grassy median which separates westbound and eastbound traffic on the interstate.
Grimm “struck the cable barrier and traveled for approximately 100 feet when (the vehicle) came to a final rest against the cable barrier,” police said.
Court records indicate that Grimm pleaded guilty to a citation for Following Too Closely May 27 in Northampton County District Court 03-2-04 in Lower Saucon Township and paid a fine of approximately $163.
