Man critical after fiery cycle crash on I-680

YOUNGSTOWN — Speed and alcohol were contributing factors in a fiery motorcycle crash on Interstate 680 that sent 33-year-old Frank Pondillo of Detroit Avenue to Cleveland Metropolitan Hospital in critical condition, said Detective Sgt. Patricia Garcar, an accident investigator.

Pondillo, who wasn’t wearing a helmet, was traveling northbound on I-680 around 5 p.m. Monday when he clipped the end of a car in front of him, causing his motorcycle to explode and ignite, Garcar said.

She said gas got on him and ignited and he was still on fire when firefighters arrived. The crash closed the roadway for two hours. Pondillo was on a ventilator with burns over 50 percent of his body at the hospital, she said today.