2 hurt in Route 22 crash in Salem

Jul. 25—Two people were injured in a Salem crash Tuesday morning that snarled Route 22 traffic for hours.

Forbes Road Fire Chief Bob Rosatti said a westbound tri-axle truck slowing at the highway's intersection with Route 819 was rear ended by a Volkswagen SUV. The impact just after 6 a.m. tore an axle off the truck and the motor out of the Volkswagen, he said.

A third vehicle had minor damage. Two people in the Volkswagen were transported to a hospital. There was a lot of debris left on the highway and firefighters contended with stormy conditions while managing traffic during a busy time of day, Rosatti said.

State police reconstructed the crash and the scene was cleared by 11 a.m. Route 22 in that area is traveled by about 24,000 motorists daily.

A report from state police was not available.

Renatta Signorini is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Renatta by email at rsignorini@triblive.com or via Twitter .