Samantha Crich, Bryan Franco, Teen Killed in Tractor-Trailer Accident on Route 33 in Monroe County, PA
UPDATE (March 9, 2023): Recent reports identified two of the victims killed in the crash. They were 25-year-old Bryan Franco and 40-year-old Samantha Crich. The third victim was a 14-year-old from Wilkes-Barre. The factors leading up to the crash remain under investigation.
Monroe County, PA -- March 1, 2023, three people were killed after an accident where a semi crashed into oncoming traffic on Route 33.
Investigators said that the incident happened at around 11:00 a.m. along Rt. 33 in the area of Saylorsburg. The initial details say that a tractor-trailer going southbound on the highway somehow careened into northbound lanes where it crashed with multiple other vehicles.
Due to the collision, three people died, including a juvenile. Details about other injuries are unclear at this time. The cause of the crash is also still under investigation.
How exactly does a truck lose control this dramatically? It's a question that I wish I didn't have to ask so often. But all over the country, there are situations like this where someone falls asleep at the wheel, gets distracted by their phone, or skips maintenance until something breaks. Maybe that happened here, as well. And if it did, investigators also need to find out what the reckless actions were and why they weren't avoided. It's possible there are issues that could still be putting others in danger.
But it's also important to know all the facts after a deadly truck wreck. Some possible factors are less common, and that can lead to authorities missing something important. What if there was a medical emergency? What if a tire blew out? What if a mechanical failure was the result not of poor maintenance, but rather a manufacturing defect? Likely or not, letting something slip through the cracks just isn't acceptable when there are countless people out there in need of answers.
I find others in my line of work jump on incidents like this just looking for someone to blame. I've found over the years that the most important step forward is getting the victims' loved ones clear answers. If it turns out someone's reckless actions took their loved ones from them, seeing those people are held fully accountable is clearly a priority. But simply ensuring they're getting the answers they deserve can be a huge weight off their shoulders. Hopefully authorities here understand that and are able to get clear answers about what led to this awful event.
[jump]
