3 killed in massive car collision under heavy snow on Pennsylvania highway

A collision involving more than 40 vehicles closed a portion of Interstate 81 in Pennsylvania and sent more than a dozen people to area hospitals on Monday.

A collision involving dozens of vehicles on Interstate 81 in Pennsylvania killed at least three people and sent more than a dozen others to area hospitals on Monday, authorities said.

Dr. David J. Moylan, the Schuylkill County coroner, said three fatalities had been confirmed by late afternoon. He said the search of the scene hadn’t been completed because of vehicles still burning. “I suspect it could run higher,” he said.

The Schuylkill County Office of Emergency Management said the crash in northeast Pennsylvania happened around 10:30 a.m. Monday. John Blickley, the agency’s deputy emergency management coordinator, said officials believe a snow squall clouded visibility and likely contributed to the accident.

Estimates of the number of vehicles involved from the emergency management agency and state police ranged between 40 and 60, including multiple tractor trailers. Blickley said emergency personnel from four different counties took about 20 patients to area hospitals for treatment. Three tractor trailers carrying unknown cargo were on fire when emergency personnel arrived and some smaller vehicles were also on fire, he said.

Pennsylvania State Police Trooper David Beohm said Monday afternoon that police hadn’t been able to investigate yet because a fire was still burning among a number of crashed cars and trucks.

“We can’t do anything while there’s still an active fire going,” he said. Fire units on the scene included a steady stream of water tankers because “in the middle of nowhere, you have to bring your own water … there’s not a fire hydrant out here anywhere.”

The highway was snow-covered when the snow squall came through, Boehm said.

“All it takes is one person to crash into something and you have to pull off the road, but when you continue to drive at highway speed, this is what happens,” he said.