Collision sends 3 to hospital, ties up eastbound traffic on Route 22 in Salem

A couple who had to be cut from their overturned Honda crossover vehicle and a male motorist in a van were taken to a local hospital after being involved in a collision Sunday morning on Route 22 in Salem.

The crash was reported just before 10:30 a.m., at the intersection of Route 819, and tied up eastbound traffic on Route 22 for about an hour.

Elinor Meyer of Plum, who was driving the Honda, and her husband, John, a passenger, were taken by ambulance to Forbes Hospital in Monroeville, according to their daughter-in-law, Amy Meyer of Bellefonte.

The impact pushed the car into the parking lot of Kelley’s Pizzeria, where it ended up on its side. “It took a pretty good shot,” according to Bob Rosatti, chief of the Forbes Road Volunteer Fire Department.

He said firefighters stabilized the car and cut away the roof, initially freeing Elinor Meyer. “Her husband was suspended,” Rosatti said. “We had to cut him out of the seat belt and get him on a backboard.”

Amy Meyer was concerned about the impact on her mother-in-law’s back and neck.

“It must have been a really hard hit,” she said. “It broke the driver’s seat, and it’s flattened.”

The van, which was covered with Trump campaign lettering, had heavy front-end damage and came to rest in the eastbound lanes, according to Rosatti. He said the man was out of the van and walking but also was taken to Forbes.

Additional information about the injured motorists wasn’t immediately available.

It wasn’t clear how the collision occurred. A third vehicle received minor damage, Rosatti said.

State police are investigating.

The Honda and the van both were removed by tow trucks.