Numerous tractor-trailers were involved in five separate accidents over a 10-miles stretch on Interstate 81 and on I-78 in Pennsylvania Wednesday, July 8, afternoon, claiming one life and jamming up traffic for miles.
A Pennsylvania Department of Transportation spokesperson yesterday said incidents occurring on interstates 81 and 78 included:
- At mile marker 82 on Interstate 81, a quarantine area of some 650 feet was created a hazmat issue. The crash involved six or seven tractor-trailers.
- At mile marker 87, four or five tractor-trailers were involved in a crash. It is unclear if it was north or southbound lanes.
- At mile marker 88, five to 10 tractor-trailers were involved in a crash with one truck over an embankment. It appears some type of fiberglass material spread across the road. It is unclear if the crash was north or southbound lanes.
- At mile marker 88.5, another four tractor-trailers were involved in a crash. It is unclear if the crash was in north or southbound lanes.
- Westbound lanes of Interstate 87 is closed for a tractor-trailer that hit the bridge over Swatara Creek
One person is said to have died in a crash.
The cause of the multiple accidents remains under investigation, and drivers were not identified. There were reports of rain in the area of the accidents, which is also known for fog.
When we asked about the accidents on our Facebook page a couple of drivers blamed the accidents on the road surface.
The northbound lanes of I-81 reopened shortly after 9 p.m., but the southbound lanes were not cleared until about 1:30 a.m. today, according to PennDOT.
The collisions occurred in Lebanon County northeast of Harrisburg.
We have calls into PennDOT and the state police and will update this sorry as more details become available.
