Some 40 vehicles collide on snowy Pennsylvania highway
The crash, which involved up to 40 cars, closed part of Pennsylvania's Interstate 81 on Monday and sent people to dozens of hospitals, the Schuylkill Regional Emergency Management Bureau said.
The plane crashed in northeastern Pennsylvania around 10:30 a.m. and authorities believe the snowstorm was cloudy and heavy, said John Blickley, the agency's deputy coordinator for emergency management. He said the initial accident involved about 40 vehicles, including several tractors.
Schuylkill County has not received any reports of deaths, but Blickley said emergency personnel from four different areas responded and transferred about 20 patients to a local hospital for treatment.
When rescuers responded, three trailers with unidentified cargo began to burn, Blickley said. He said there were fewer fires in the other cars, but he had them under control.
A video uploaded to social media on Monday showed an out-of-control tractor and trailer colliding with a large dump truck, causing it to climb nearly 180 degrees. Another large truck released black smoke and orange flames into the air, and an SUV collided with a passenger car, causing the sedan to spin and missing its driver standing on the shoulder of a snow-covered highway.
The person who posted the video did not respond immediately to a request for additional information. People could hear screams from the cameras, as many cars were involved in the accident in less than a minute.
The Schuylkill Regional Transportation Department helps get passengers uninjured from accidents to the local Red Cross heating center, where families can call them or arrange transportation.
The National Weather Service warned of "several short-term snowstorms. It's not good."
“The storm will rapidly reduce visibility to less than half a mile and will cover the road with snow,” the forecaster said, urging drivers to exit or turn on hazard lights if possible, “and slow down gradually to avoid chain reaction vehicle accidents..”
Mike Colbert, a meteorologist with the Office of the National Weather Service in State College, said the weather service started issuing blizzard warnings a few years ago, and that kind of backlog of reports is why they started doing it.
"They have a lot of snow and if you get to them by car, you can go from a partly cloudy sky to a clear one in a few seconds. That's what makes them so dangerous," he said.
Blickley warned that the northern border line could be closed "by evening" while the accident investigation and cleanup continued. He also warned that strong winds were expected throughout the afternoon, and urged people to watch their bodies and clothing if necessary.
Source: abcnews
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