Five occupants of a Subaru Legacy were killed when the sedan they were in collided with a tractor-trailer around 3:59 p.m. March 2 on Route 222 at the Route 100 split, in Upper Macungie Township.

Lehigh County Coroner Scott Grim said Rosa Lajara-Marine, 59, of 402 S. 15th St., Allentown, was pronounced dead at 4:50 p.m. and Mercedes Silvestre Castillo, 34, of 715-1/2 W. Washington St., Allentown, was pronounced dead 4:55 p.m. by Lehigh County Deputy Coroner Richard Kroon.

Grim said Jessegel Diaz-Hernanez, 19, 622 N. New St., Allentown, was pronounced dead at 4:53 p.m. and Barbara Bruno Rondon, 30, 1017 Chestnut St., Allentown, was pronounced dead at 4:55 p.m. by Lehigh County First Deputy Coroner Eric Minnich.

Grim said the other person in the car was pronounced dead at 4:54 p.m. also by Lehigh County First Deputy Coroner Eric Minnich.

He said autopsies were completed on all five and the cause of their deaths is multiple blunt force injuries.

Grim said he ruled the manner of their deaths as accidental.

Upon the completion of forensic testing and positive identification, additional information on the remaining person in the car will be released, Grim said.

According to Upper Macungie Township Police Chief Edgardo Colon, the crash occurred as the tractor-trailer, occupied by its driver only, carrying a full load of scrap metal and driving south in the left lane of Route 222, collided with the car occupied by the driver and four passengers.

The Subaru, northbound on Route 222, traveled to its left, across the grassy median separating the highway directly into the path of the tractor-trailer with what appears to be a head-on collision, Colon said.

Colon said the severe impact of the crash caused an immediate explosion and fire.

After impact, the rear half of the Subaru was separated from the wreckage and landed in the southbound lanes of Route 222.

During separation, two of the occupants were ejected and landed in the roadway.

Colon said upon arrival of police at 4:02 p.m. the wreckage was completely engulfed in flames, and for safety reasons both directions of Route 222 were closed.

When the fire was extinguished, it was discovered there were three additional occupants in the sedan, and all five were pronounced dead at the scene.

It was later determined the five were coworkers commuting together from a workplace in Macungie.

Colon said this is a large-scale investigation that is still being conducted.

A full-scale forensic mapping and reconstruction of the scene has taken place and the police department is in the process of conducting further interviews and actions to hopefully determine the cause of the crash, Colon said.

As a result of the crash, Route 222 was closed in both directions for approximately eight hours.

According to a press release from Ronald J. Young Jr., district press officer with PennDOT, there were lane restrictions from 1:30-3:30 p.m. March 3 for remediation of the fuel spill from the crash.

Upper Macungie fire companies station 8, 25 and 56, along with Cetronia Ambulance Corps, assisted at the scene.