HUNLOCK TOWNSHIP, LUZERNE COUNTY – An 81-year-old Nanticoke woman died Friday afternoon when another driver crossed the center line on Route 11 and struck her Jeep head-on near the Retreat Bridge.

Cecelia Pecaitis was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver who crossed into her lane, Lawrence R. Swink Jr., 73, of Orangeville, was transported to Geisinger Wyoming Valley Hospital with suspected serious injuries. A passenger in Pecaitis’s vehicle, Dolores A. Grozio, 75, of Hanover Township, was also taken to Geisinger with serious injuries.

The crash shut down Route 11 in both directions for more than five hours.

The collision occurred around 2 PM Friday on Route 11 in Hunlock Township, just south of Hunlock Creek near the Retreat Bridge, according to Pennsylvania State Police at Shickshinny.

Trooper Ramon Paulino said Swink was driving a Nissan Rogue northbound on Route 11 when his vehicle crossed the center line into the southbound lane.

Pecaitis was heading south in a Jeep Latitude. She had no time to react.

The Jeep came to rest facing south on the southbound shoulder. The Nissan stopped facing north, partially blocking the travel lane. Both vehicles remained in place until first responders arrived.

Pecaitis sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. Police have not said why Swink crossed the center line. The investigation is ongoing.

Falzone’s Towing removed both vehicles from the roadway.

Road Closure

PennDOT shut down Route 11 northbound and southbound in the Hunlock area immediately after the crash. A detour was put in place routing traffic around the scene.

The highway reopened around 7:30 PM—more than five hours after the collision.

A Deadly Stretch of Road

Friday’s crash is the latest in a string of fatal wrecks on Route 11 near Hunlock Township.

In May, Sebastian Shepherd, 21, of Dalton, was killed on the same stretch of highway when his Chevy Cruze crossed into the northbound lane and collided with a tractor-trailer hauling a modular home. Shepherd was pronounced dead at the scene. The truck driver was not injured.

In November 2024, Michael Faruolo, 56, of Shickshinny, died when his SUV ran off Route 11 in Union Township, striking a guide rail and utility pole.

Route 11 runs along the Susquehanna River through Luzerne County, passing through Shickshinny, Hunlock Creek, and West Nanticoke. The two-lane highway sees heavy local traffic and commercial trucks moving between Wilkes-Barre and Bloomsburg.

Investigation Continues

Pennsylvania State Police at Shickshinny are handling the investigation. No charges have been filed.

The conditions of Swink and Grozio have not been released. The Pocono Record has reached out to Geisinger for updates.

Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact PSP Shickshinny at 570-542-4117.

Victim: Cecelia Pecaitis, 81, Nanticoke – pronounced dead at scene

Injured:

• Lawrence R. Swink Jr., 73, Orangeville – driver, suspected serious injuries
• Dolores A. Grozio, 75, Hanover Township – passenger, suspected serious injuries

Location: Route 11 near Retreat Bridge, Hunlock Township, Luzerne County

Time: Approximately 2 PM Friday, December 5, 2025

---