A late-night ride turned fatal on a dark stretch of highway in Pennsylvania. A 45-year-old local man was riding his electric pedal cycle home close to midnight. He never made it back to his family after a horrific collision.
The quiet evening shattered right around 11:11 p.m. on Thursday night. The cyclist was traveling northbound along the right shoulder of Route 61. He was keeping close to the white fog line just north of Seven Stars Road.
Out of nowhere, a massive 2024 International LT62F tractor-trailer came up from behind in the same lane. The massive commercial truck was rolling through North Manheim Township. Its front passenger-side bumper clipped the back of the small e-bike.
The impact was devastating for the lightweight electric bicycle. The rear of the cycle took the full force of the collision and was completely crushed. Meanwhile, the giant big rig barely sustained any minor cosmetic scratches on its bumper.
First responders rushed to the chaotic scene on the highway. Paramedics with the Schuylkill EMS worked quickly to treat the severely injured cyclist. They loaded him into an ambulance and hurried down the road.
Doctors at the Lehigh Valley Hospital–East Pottsville tried desperately to save him. Sadly, his injuries were just too severe for his body to handle. Medical professionals pronounced the 45-year-old Schuylkill Haven resident dead a short time later.
State troopers closed down the highway lanes for hours after the wreck. Specialized investigators spent the entire night mapping out the road and reconstructing the scene. The Pennsylvania State Police at Schuylkill Haven are still actively looking into exactly what went wrong.
