A woman is in critical condition after she was struck by a vehicle near the intersection of North Wilkes-Barre Boulevard and Butler Street early Wednesday, suffering a compound fracture to her left arm and visible head trauma that required emergency surgery. Wilkes-Barre City Police were dispatched to the scene, where officers found her lying in the eastbound lane of Butler Street. The crash triggered a road closure that snarled traffic during the morning commute.
Accounts of the exact timing differ. According to Shore News Network, police were dispatched at approximately 5:30 a.m. Wednesday, while the Citizens' Voice reported the crash happened around 5 a.m. at the same intersection. Fox56 corroborated the later timeframe, reporting that police responded around 5:30 a.m. to what it described as a car-versus-pedestrian crash that left one woman seriously injured.
Emergency Response and Hospital Transport
Wilkes-Barre City EMS stabilized the woman on a spine board before transporting her to Geisinger Wyoming Valley, per the same account from Shore News Network. She required emergency surgery once she arrived and was listed in critical condition. Fox56 similarly reported that she was taken to Geisinger Wyoming Valley, where she needed emergency surgery and remained in critical condition.
Officers were able to determine the woman's name at the scene but said they could not obtain further information from her, the outlet reported. Other outlets did not specify whether her identity had been confirmed or released as of Wednesday.
Driver Cooperated, No Charges Announced
The vehicle involved in the collision remained at the scene, and its driver alerted Luzerne County 911 about the crash, according to police cited by the same report. The driver consented to a portable breath test at the scene and voluntarily went to Geisinger Wyoming Valley for a blood draw intended to rule out driving under the influence. The vehicle was expected to be towed and held during the investigation.
Police did not announce any charges against the driver in the information released Wednesday. The Wilkes-Barre City Police Detective Division is handling the crash reconstruction and investigation, and police say the probe is continuing, according to the Times Leader.
Boulevard Closed for Hours During Investigation
The vehicle remained at the scene for reconstruction work, and North Wilkes-Barre Boulevard's southbound lanes were closed from Conyngham Avenue to Butler Street during the investigation. The Citizens' Voice reported that police used a total station device to survey the scene, a mapping tool used in crash reconstruction, and that the closure caused delays during Wednesday's morning commute.
The crash involved a pedestrian in the Wilkes-Barre area. A separate report from WNEP concerns a pedestrian incident along Wilkes-Barre Township Boulevard. No further update on the woman's condition following Wednesday's crash was available at the time of publication.
