A Myerstown resident has died of injuries sustained in a two-vehicle crash that occurred on Monday, Feb. 19, around 2:50 p.m., in Jackson Township.
Pennsylvania State Police identified the deceased as 74-year-old Ira Mast in a press release issued late Thursday morning.
According to the release, a 2015 Freightliner tractor-trailer driven by Hugo Medranoespinal, 41, of Barstow, California, was traveling east on Woleber Road when it started downhill and approached a stop sign at the intersection of Woleber and Hilltop roads (SR 645).
Medranoespinal failed to bring the tractor-trailer to a complete stop at the intersection and continued into the south lane on Hilltop Road, police said.
At the same time, Mast was driving a 2015 GMC Canyon south on Hilltop Road at an unknown rate of speed. According to police, Mast would not have been able to see the tractor-trailer enter the lane due to a slight dip in the road.
His GMC struck the tractor-trailer at the intersection of Hilltop and Woleber roads.
After the impact, Medranoespinal reversed the tractor-trailer and parked in front of the stop sign. The GMC came to a rest in the lane, facing south.
Mast was not wearing a seatbelt, police said, and he hit his head on the rearview mirror. All airbags were deployed. Mast was found in the driver’s seat, not ejected from the vehicle.
Mast was transported to Reading Hospital, where he later died of his injuries.
Police are continuing their investigation.
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