Police say speeding vehicle led to Route 22 crash in Salem

An Ohio man was speeding westbound on Route 22 in Salem Tuesday morning just before a crash that snarled traffic on the highway for hours, according to state police.

Ricardo P. Hardy, 22, was driving a Volkswagen SUV in the center of Route 22 and slammed into the back of a tri-axle truck as they approached the intersection of Route 819 just after 6 a.m., troopers said.

Forbes Road Fire Chief Bob Rosatti said the impact tore an axle off the truck and the motor out of the Volkswagen. The SUV overturned.

A third vehicle, a Ford Ranger, had minor damage. Hardy and his passenger were taken to a hospital. The passenger had serious injuries. Troopers did not release that man’s identity. Hardy had a suspected minor injury.

There was a lot of debris left on the highway and firefighters contended with stormy conditions while managing traffic during a busy time of day, Rosatti said.

State police reconstructed the crash and the scene was cleared by 11 a.m. Route 22 in that area is traveled by about 24,000 motorists daily.