Tire Blowout Caused Dump Truck to Overturn: Police

Accident that hampered afternoon rush hour traffic on Route 33 Tuesday started when dump truck's tire failed, causing driver to lose control, police say.

  A tire blowout was what caused a dump truck to overturn and create a mess for afternoon rush hour travelers on Route 33 in Bethlehem Township on Tuesday, according to Pennsylvania State Police at Belfast. Harry F. Andress Jr., 58, of Stroudsburg, was driving the truck in the right lane of northbound Route 33 at about 4:21 p.m. when the left front tire failed, police said. Andress lost control of the 2007 Mack truck, which traveled across the left lane and onto the center grass median of the highway before rolling over onto its passenger side, not far from the William Penn Highway exit, police said. Andress, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was partially ejected from the truck as a result of the crash, police said. He was taken to St. Luke…

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Overturned Dump Truck Causes Havoc on Route 33

Driver hurt, one lane in each direction of Route 33 was shut down for cleanup.

If your afternoon commute involves Route 33 in Bethlehem Township, you could be in for a delay. According to police radio reports, a dump truck filled with dirt overturned near the William Penn Highway exit of Route 33 at a little after 4 p.m. Police have shut down one lane of the highway in each direction to allow for cleanup, which apparently does not involve any hazardous materials. The driver, who was apparently injured, was taken to St. Luke’s University Hospital in Fountain Hill for treatment, radio reports said.

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Road Work Could Create Delays on Township Roads

Route 33 sinkhole gets some attention from highway crews, but that could make for tricky travel in Bethlehem Township.

  If your travel takes you to Route 33 in Bethlehem Township, be ready for some delays this week as highway repairs and maintenance could wreak havoc with your commute, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Today, construction crews are expected to make repairs to the on-ramp from William Penn Highway to northbound Route 33. Expect lane restrictions and delays because of this construction work, which was made necessary by a sinkhole that opened in that area in December. Connecting to Route 33 from eastbound Route 22 could also be tricky today and Tuesday because of brush cutting and litter pick-up planned there. Expect lane closures and delays in that area. The sinkhole repairs shift to the entrance to southbound …

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Rt. 33 Bridge Inspection in Bethlehem Township on Nov. 15

Delays possible as PennDOT conducts a bridge inspection on Route 33

Large Sinkhole Closes Portion of Route 33 South

PennDOT crews close right lane of Route 33 south to fill a large sinkhole on the highway's shoulder.

A large sinkhole opened early Wednesday afternoon on the shoulder of Route 33 south, just past the bridge near Route 191 in Stockertown that was replaced about seven years ago when sinkholes in the Bushkill Creek threatened the bridge's foundation. By 2:45 p.m., Pennsylvania Department of Transportation crews were shutting down the right lane between Routes 191 and 248, snarling traffic. Ron Young, a spokesman for PennDOT District 5-0, was in a meeting in Harrisburg when the sinkhole formed. Young said the hole looked to be about 6 feet long by 4 feet wide and about 4 feet deep. Information had just been provided to Young when he spoke to Patch -- only seeing a photo of the hole, which opened near mile marker 8.3. "It's mostly in the …

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Bethlehem Township Crash Victim Leaves 2 Children

Woman died in accident on her way home from work Sunday morning

The 41-year-old Bethlehem Township woman killed in a car crash on Route 33 Sunday morning leaves behind two children, according to this report. The victim, Melissa Carrigan, was on her way home from work when the accident happened, according to her mother, Ann Marie Kraft, as quoted in the report. Kraft said the family is devastated by the sudden loss. Carrigan is the third person to die on local highways during the past week. A motorcycle crash on Route 22 in South Whitehall killed a man on Wednesday. There was also a fatal crash on Interstate 78 on Tuesday.   .

Bethlehem Township Woman Killed in Route 33 Crash

Melissa Garrigan, 41, was killed Sunday morning in a crash on Route 33 in Plainfield Township.

A Bethlehem Township woman was killed Sunday morning in a two-vehicle crash on Route 33 in Plainfield Township, according to State Police in Belfast. According to police, Melissa Garrigan, 41, of the 3900 block of Bruce Lane was driving her 2009 Subaru Forester in the left southbound lane -- between the Belfast and Stockertown exits -- around 8am. Garrigan attempted to pass a 2000 Sterling AT9500 series, heavy duty truck driven by Leroy Altemose, 54, of Saylorsburg. Police say that an unknown portion of the passenger side of Garrigan's car struck the front driver's side wheel of Altemose's vehicle, sending her clockwise and over the west edge of the roadway. The driver's side door of Garrigan's vehicle struck a tree, and she was pronounced…

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Man in Custody After Stockertown "Dirty" Bomb Scare

Emergency crews evacuated three homes early Sunday because of possible "dirty" bomb

2:00 p.m. Update: The Morning Call is reporting that the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms are involved in the investigation. A dark-colored Jeep 4x4 - likely the suspect's vehicle - was seen parked in the Stockertown emergency services garage. The vehicle was surrounded by yellow police tape. 11:40 a.m. Update: Stockertown's police chief is expected to release some information on the bomb scare investigation later today, an officer has told Patch. He did not specify when details will become available and would not disclose where the suspect is.  10 a.m. Update: Officials from the Lehigh County Emergency Management Agency have arrived in Stockertown, where police are going through the suspect's vehicle. Northampton County EMA…

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