Two drivers died in a head-on collision on Route 209 in Monroe County early Sunday morning, a crash that shut down a stretch of the highway for hours as investigators worked the scene near Beaver Valley Road. Jaylan Henry, 27, of Blakeslee, and Alexander Ntoas, 24, of Stroudsburg, were both killed when their vehicles collided just before 6:30 a.m.
According to WNEP, state police in Stroudsburg say the two men were killed in a head-on collision in Monroe County, with Trooper Peter Gutowski identified as the investigating trooper. Separately, fox56.com reported the crash happened around 6:28 a.m. Sunday, when a vehicle traveling southbound failed to stay in its lane and struck a northbound vehicle. State police say it was Henry who drifted into the opposing lane, according to WNEP's reporting.
Henry was pronounced dead while being transported to St. Luke's Anderson Hospital, per the station's report. Ntoas was pronounced dead at the scene. The crash occurred on Route 209 near Beaver Valley Road in Hamilton Township.
Highway Closed for Hours During Investigation
Route 209 was shut down between Hickory Valley Road and Beaver Valley Road while state police investigated, the same account notes. Fox56.com separately reported that the closure lasted for an extended period. The crash remains under investigation, and no cause beyond the reported lane departure has been released.
A wide response of emergency crews worked the scene, including the Blue Ridge Fire Department, Suburban EMS, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Karl's Towing & Auto Repair, and the county coroner, per WNEP. The involvement of so many agencies underscores the scale of the response to Sunday's deadly wreck.
Not the First Incident on This Stretch
Route 209 in Monroe County has seen other crashes this year. A rollover crash in Hamilton Township injured one person on June 5, according to wfmz.com, which reported that crash happened just after 11:30 a.m. along the same highway. No connection between that earlier wreck and Sunday's fatal crash has been established.
Sunday's collision remains under active investigation by Pennsylvania State Police. No further details about the circumstances leading up to the crash have been released.
