Dane Groszek, Middletown NY, leaves Interstate 81 after his car was damaged in a multi-vehicle collision along Interstate 81 North near the exit of Minersville, Foster Twp., Pa., On Monday, March 28, 2022. Dane was at way back home after visiting family in Daytona Fl. (David McKeown / Republican-Herald via AP) A Pennsylvania medical examiner said Monday that at least three people were killed in a collision with more than 50 vehicles that closed a transnational unit and sent more than a dozen people to area hospitals. Dr David J. Moylan, Schuylkill County Medical Examiner, said the scene search had not been completed because of the burning vehicles, but “I suspect he could have run higher”. The accident in northeastern Pennsylvania occurred around 10:30 a.m. and John Blickley, the deputy emergency management coordinator for the service, said officials believe a blizzard blurred visibility and likely contributed to the accident. About 40 vehicles, including several tractor trailers, were involved in the initial collision, he said. Blickley said emergency personnel from four different counties responded and transported about 20 patients to area hospitals for treatment. Three trailers carrying an unknown load were burned when emergency personnel responded. Smaller fires broke out in other vehicles, but they were all largely under control, he said. Pennsylvania State Police Officer David Bohm said Monday afternoon he could not confirm any casualties, but said police could not investigate because fires were still burning among the many cars and trucks that crashed. He estimated that a total of 50 to 60 vehicles were involved in the collision, including some tractor trailers and some smaller vehicles. “We can do nothing as long as there is still an active fire and the fire (officials) say it will probably be another hour or two before it is extinguished,” Beohm said. Many firefighters were on the scene, including many or tankers who came to replenish water because there was no tap water source at the scene. People whose vehicles were in the collision and the “walking injured” were taken to Wegman’s distribution center in an industrial park near the crash site, he said, and a reunion center had been set up at the Goodwill Fire Company in Minersville. Footage posted on social media on Monday showed a tractor-trailer crashing into a large dump truck, turning it almost 180 degrees. Another large truck fired black smoke and orange flames into the air and an SUV hit a passenger car, causing the sedan to spin, losing its driver standing on the highway shoulder, shrouded in snow and fog. The person who posted the video did not immediately respond to requests for additional information. People off-camera can be heard shouting as the waterfall of accidents unfolds with many vehicles colliding in less than a minute. The National Weather Service had warned of “a lot of short heavy snowfall with very poor visibility”. “Rainfall will quickly reduce visibility to less than half a mile and cover roads with snow,” meteorologists said, urging drivers to get off the road if possible or turn on the emergency lights “and gradually slow down to avoid a chain. road accident reaction “. Mike Colbert, a foreman at the National Meteorological Service office at State College, said the meteorological service began issuing blizzard warnings a few years ago and that the cumulative species reported were the reason they began to do so. “These are very heavy snow showers, where if you drive them, you can go from partly cloudy or sunny skies to a momentary blizzard in a matter of seconds. “That’s why they are so dangerous.” Blickley warned that the northbound section of the interstate would likely be closed “well into the night” as the search and clearing of the crash continued. He also warned that more storm warnings are expected throughout the afternoon and urged people to be careful and pull sweaters if needed.
