Photo: Jessica Kourkounis/Getty
More than 70 vehicles crashed on a Pennsylvania interstate after snow and a flash freeze created dangerous road conditions on Saturday.
At 3 p.m. local time,Trooper Megan Ammerman tweetedthat at least 73 vehicles were involved in a massive crash on Interstate 581 in Cumberland County. Ammerman said several injuries had been reported, but that none were life-threatening.
The incident occurred on the Capital Beltway near mile marker 7 in Lower Allen Township, according toThe SentinalandWGAL.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s 511PAconfirmed on Twitterthat all lanes had closed on I-581 eastbound between Exit 3 and Exit 6B due to a “multi vehicle crash.”
In her tweet, Ammerman said “the road will be closed for several more hours” and asked travelers to “avoid the area” as they clear the wreckage.
Some vehicles seemed to be pressed up against a barrier along the right side of the highway, with snow already blanketing the ground and covering the cars' tracks. Meanwhile, the side of the road was littered with plastic and other broken car parts from the many accidents.
Another Twitter user shared a set of imagesfrom what appeared to be the wreck, which included a AAA tow truck and at least one semi-truck. One of the photos also showed a stretcher sitting in the middle of the icy roadway.
Temperatures in the area plunged “well below freezing” Saturday afternoon, leading to a local flash freeze warning,according to NBC Philadelphia.
Additionally, NBC Philadelphia meteorologist Steve Sosna said snow was coming down at a “moderate” intensity and that winds around 30 to 40 mph helped drop visibility in the area down to about a half-mile, or even less, in some spots.
Buses are scheduled to pick up victims of the crash and transport them to New Cumberland Borough Fire Department,Ammerman noted in a second tweet.
“Thank you to the New Cumberland FD for the warming and reunification location,” she added.
source: people.com
