Speed Cited in Crash That Closed I-78 Ramps for 5 Hours

Pennsylvania State Police at Belfast say speed was a factor in a crash that caused a truck to catch fire and triggered lengthy ramp closures at the busy I-78/Rt. 33 interchange in Lower Saucon Township last month.

According to a June 4 crash report, the accident happened May 19, shortly after 5:30 p.m., when Galo H. Ontaneda, 49, of East Orange, N.J. was negotiating a right-hand curve in the roadway between the Rt. 33 south ramp and I-78 east.

Police said that was when the 2013 Volvo VLN tractor-trailer Ontaneda was operating “scraped against the concrete barrier,” overturned and caught fire.

Ontaneda was able to escape the burning truck through the windshield, police said, and was taken to St. Luke’s Hospital-Anderson Campus in Bethlehem Township for treatment of suspected minor injuries.

The truck fire was extinguished by Lower Saucon Fire Rescue, Williams Township Fire Department, Nancy Run Fire Company and Palmer Township Fire Department. Due to the accident, police said both the north and southbound ramps from Rt. 33 to I-78 east were closed for approximately five hours.

According to the accident report and court records, Ontaneda was issued a summary citation for failure to drive at a safe speed.

Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using information provided by Pennsylvania State Police, Troop M, and Northampton County court records.