FRACKVILLE - The treasurer of the Schuylkill Historical Fire Society was seriously injured when the van he was driving crashed into the back of a tractor-trailer Friday on Route 924 in Frackville.
Frackville police said John Kelly, Port Carbon, was trapped inside his van for a brief time before being rescued and taken to the Schuylkill Mall, where he was placed aboard a waiting MedEvac helicopter and flown to Geisinger Medical Center, Danville. According to a hospital spokeswomam, Kelly was in serious condition as of Friday night.
The driver of the truck, owned by Geppert Bros. Inc., Colmar, was identified as Joseph Dolan, Gilbertsville. Dolan was not injured, police said.
Police Sgt. Marvin Livergood said the crash occurred about 12:55 p.m. as Kelly was driving south, just north of Harper's Auto Body Shop, when he hit the back of the tractor-trailer driven by Dolan.
Livergood said Dolan was traveling slowly uphill with his warning flashers activated when he looked in his mirror and saw traffic coming behind him.
Dolan was in the process of pulling over to allow traffic to pass when he saw Kelly's van slam into the back of his trailer.
After hitting the truck, Livergood said the van traveled along the driver's side of the rig and came to a stop on the berm of the road about 20 feet in front of the tractor-trailer.
Frackville firefighters removed Kelly from his van and he was treated at the scene by emergency personnel from Shenandoah ALS and Frackville EMS. Altamont firefighters set up the landing zone at the mall and Shenandoah police assisted at the crash scene, where traffic was slowed for more than 30 minutes.
The investigation into the crash is continuing, Livergood said.