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Three juveniles are in critical condition after a collision involving an 18-wheeler on Route 61 in Perry Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday evening (June 25). According to state police, the crash occurred around 10:15 p.m. when a car traveling at high speed collided with a tractor-trailer that was making a left turn onto an Interstate 78 ramp. The impact caused the truck to crash into a nearby commercial building, but no additional injuries were reported.
The three occupants of the car, including an 18-year-old male driver from Wyomissing and a 17-year-old male from Reading, were transported to Reading Hospital for treatment. A third male passenger was also injured, but his identity has not been disclosed. Emergency responders found two of the teens unconscious upon arrival, with one trapped in the wreckage.
The truck driver, a 37-year-old man from Allentown, was evaluated at the scene but declined hospital treatment. Witnesses reported that the car was traveling southbound at a high speed before striking the passenger side near the back end of the northbound trailer. Multiple agencies, including the state police crash reconstruction and forensic services units, are involved in the ongoing investigation.