Man seriously injured in Route 9 motorcycle crash

Vehicles were forced to exit Route 9 northbound between Exits 2 and 3 after a motorcycle crash Monday. Vehicles were forced to exit Route 9 northbound between Exits 2 and 3 after a motorcycle crash Monday. Photo: Photo Courtesy Of The Old Saybrook Fire Department Photo: Photo Courtesy Of The Old Saybrook Fire Department Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Man seriously injured in Route 9 motorcycle crash 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

ESSEX>> A Rocky Hill man was seriously injured Monday evening in a motorcycle crash that closed Route 9 for hours and forced other traffic on the northbound side of the road to exit the highway in the wrong direction.

State Police Sgt. Sal Calvo said that 51-year-old Mark Cronkhite suffered serious injuries to his head and extremities in the accident, which happened at about 7:30 p.m. Cronkhite had been traveling northbound on the highway when he hit a guardrail about a quarter of a mile south of Exit 3.

The crash completely closed the highway on the northbound side. All of the vehicles caught in traffic at the time of the accident had to turn around and exit the highway in the wrong direction at the request of Connecticut State Police, according to the Old Saybrook Fire Department, which responded to the scene.

Cronkhite was transported to the hospital by Lifestar. The state Department of Transportation said the highway reopened about three hours after the crash.

Cronkhite’s condition was not immediately available Tuesday morning.

The crash remains under investigation and anyone with information about what happened is encouraged to call State Police Troop F at 860-399-2100 and ask for Trooper Paul Pederson.

This story will be updated with more information as it becomes available.