Accident on Route 422 Puts Myerstown Man in Hospital

Hershey Medical Center

BERKS COUNTY, NY- According to ldnews.com , a man from Myerstown was taken to the Hershey Medical Center for treatment following a collision that occurred on Monday, December 17, 2018. The victim, 23-year-old Jason Kauffman of Myerstown was driving east on Route 422 a little after 7:45 in the evening when he collided with a vehicle that was making a left turn.*

The other vehicle, driven by 73-year-old Ray Merkey, of Mount Aetna was attempting to turn left onto Goodwill Street when Kauffman’s vehicle struck Merkey’s vehicle. Both vehicles stopped in the right lane and blocked traffic at the intersection.

Kauffman was trapped in his vehicle and had to be extracted by emergency personnel. The victim was transported to the Hershey Medical Center. The nature and severity of Kauffman’s injuries are not known at this time.

Merkey did not suffer any injuries in the crash.

Left turns are some of the most dangerous driving maneuvers that people frequently engage in. There are many factors for a driver to consider when they are turning left, and it is not uncommon for a driver to misjudge another vehicle’s speed or overlook a vehicle or pedestrian. Intersections, in general, are the location where many crashes take place. Vehicles that are traveling in different directions meet at intersections, and a simple lapse in a driver’s attention can lead to severe collisions.

Many studies have indicated that there are better possible designs for intersections. Roundabouts, for example, have been shown to drastically lower the number of crashes that take place at an intersection. Better designed intersections could lower the number of traffic-related fatalities that take place in the United States every year.