IRISH VALLEY - A Paxinos man was flown to a hospital Thursday after the motorcycle he was riding hit the back of a double-parked flatbed tractor-trailer owned by PennDOT.
The accident occurred on Irish Valley Road, approximately one-tenth mile from state Route 890, where a 2002 Kawasaki Vulcan Classic motorcycle, operated by Robert Swank, 86, of Paxinos, struck the back of the unattended trailer attached to a Mack CXN.
Swank was listed in serious condition at Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, Thursday evening.
A PennDOT employee, who police did not identify, had just finished unloading a piece of construction equipment from the parked trailer when the accident occurred. The equipment was being staged for a paving project on Route 890.
According to a fire official, Swank landed on the back of the empty trailer after he was ejected from his motorcycle.
The front wheel of the motorcycle became wedged underneath the trailer. A small amount of fluid leaked around small bits of glass from the crash.
According to state police, the four-ways and yellow emergency light on the truck were activated at the time of the crash. Swank was mailed a written warning for driving at unsafe speeds.