North Aurora driver cited in Batavia crash with semi truck

BATAVIA – A North Aurora driver was cited in a crash with semi truck Wednesday morning that shut down the intersection of South Batavia Avenue and Merlo Street in Batavia for two hours, police announced in a news release.

Christopher L. Tondola, 65, of North Aurora was issued a citation for failure to yield at an intersection, according to the release.

The crash occurred at 11:34 a.m.

Tondola was driving a 2013 Lexus ES250 passenger car and turned left from westbound Merlo to southbound Batavia Avenue.

He failed to yield to the semi truck – which was driving south on Batavia Avenue through the intersection – and drove directly into the side of the truck, according to the release.

Tondola was trapped inside the driver’s compartment, but Batavia Fire Department responders extricated him and took him to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to the release.

The truck driver was not injured and evidence showed he was traveling five miles under the posted speed limit at the time of the crash, according to the release.