NESQUEHONING -- A tractor-trailer carrying nine brand new jeeps lost its brakes Thursday morning in Carbon County coming down a mountain.
The truck was coming down Broad Mountain and then flipped at the intersection of Routes 209 and 93 in Nesquehoning.
Authorities and people in Nesquehoning are not surprised by a truck crashing at that intersection. There was another crash there just a few weeks ago.
Measures have been taken in the past to try to stop crashes from happening there, but now people are asking what it will take to prevent someone from seriously getting hurt or even killed.
As trucks and tractor-trailers come down Route 93, and approach the intersection of Route 209 in Nesquehoning, the squeal of brakes is a common sound.
"The biggest problem right now is they are not stopping up there, and they are not stopping and gearing down. They don't realize how steep the hill is until they are coming down," said Nesquehoning Police Chief Sean Smith.
Chief Smith says the driver of this tractor trailer ignored a total of 38 signs warning him to slow down and reduce gears.
Witnesses told police instead, the driver was speeding, at some point lost his brakes, and then rolled over when he tried to turn at the intersection.
Remarkably, no one was hurt, but nine brand new limited-edition Jeeps on the truck were destroyed. They're valued at about $40,000 each.
But this crash doesn't come to as a shock to some around here.
"We do have a lot of truck crashes here. Thankfully there haven't been no fatals. Today when I got on the scene, I thought it was one," the chief said.
Just a few weeks ago, another trailer rolled over in front of this auto sales shop.
Last year, there were at least four serious crashes here, involving a truck or tractor-trailer.
PennDOT put up more signs to try and curb the crashes, and a runaway truck ramp was put in.
"All it would take a school bus crossing the intersection, and it's going to be ugly."
Residents like Rich Lazzaro are frustrated. They want something more to be done.
Nesquehoning and state police have increased speed enforcement along Route 93, and the driver of this tractor trailer that crashed will be fined.
"Penalties don't do anything," said Lazzaro. "They have to hire drivers who are smart. The industry itself, they are running all the drivers out of the industries that have common sense."
State Representative Doyle Heffley plans to meet with PennDOT soon. He's had meetings in the past to get more signs put up, but at this point, he supports possibly banning trucks on Route 93 and requiring them to use a detour.
