Coroner: 21-year-old Russian man killed in Interstate 78 wrong-way wreck - UPDATE

FROM THE EXPRESS TIMES

The 21-year-old man killed in Tuesday morning's wrong-way wreck on Interstate 78 was visiting America from Russia.

Evgeny Vinogradov was the front-seat passenger in a black Pontiac Grand Am that struck a Volvo tractor-trailer as the car drove east in the westbound traffic lanes at 3:57 a.m., according to state police and Northampton County Coroner Zachary Lysek.

Vinogradov was not wearing a seat belt and he was ejected from the car driven by Thomas J. Frezza, 21, of Upper Nazareth Township, Lysek and police said. The driver of the truck was Jairum Baez-Taverez, 28, of Ridgewood, N.Y.

Vinogradov was in the country on a work and travel visa, but Lysek could not elaborate on what he was doing while here.

"He was here for a short period of time," Lysek said. "He was just staying with friends."

Lysek found that Vinogradov died from multiple blunt-force trauma and ruled the death accidental.

Frezza and Baez-Taverez were each taken to area hospitals for treatment. A message left at a number listed for relatives of Frezza was not returned today.

Police said Baez-Tavarez attempted to veer out of the way of Frezza's car, but the right front corner of his truck hit the right front of Frezza's car. Police said the collision continued across the passenger side of Frezza's car, ejecting Vinogradov.

Police did not say why Frezza was going the wrong way on the highway.

Frezza's car came to a rest on the shoulder of the highway, police said, while the truck continued through the grass median and partially into the eastbound portion of the highway.

The crash shuttered I-78 for hours as police and other authorities cleaned up and investigated the crash. At noon Tuesday, the truck was hauled away, crews worked to repair the median, and a street sweeper traveled the westbound lanes, cleaning up debris and fluids.

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