FREDERICKSBURG — A pileup that involved dozens of vehicles on Interstate 78 in Lebanon County on Saturday morning killed at least 3 and sent more than 40 people to area hospitals, according to The Associated Press and state police at Jonestown.
Trooper Justin Summa, a spokesman for state police, said three fatalities had been confirmed following the crash that occurred at 9:45 a.m. Saturday near mile marker 7.5 in Bethel Township. It involved at least 50 commercial and private vehicles. The pileup left tractor-trailers, box trucks and cars tangled together across three traffic lanes and into the snow-covered median about 75 miles northwest of Philadelphia, according to the AP.
All people were removed from the highway before 2 p.m. Saturday, according to state police.
“Approximately 40 victims were transported to area hospitals: Hershey Medical Center; Good Samaritan Hospital, Reading; St. Joseph’s Hospital; Pottsville hospital; Lehigh Valley Hospital; Holy Spirit Hospital; and Pinnacle Medical Center,” state police said in a report Saturday night.
Megan Manlove of Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center said 10 patients had been brought in from the crash, three in critical condition, three with moderate to severe injuries and four with minor injuries, according to the AP.
“Approximately 70 passengers that were uninjured were transported to Jonestown Fire Hall where volunteers from the Red Cross provided assistance for rental cars and lodging,” according to state police.
Trooper Adam Reed, a spokesman for state police, said investigators believed that “passing snow squalls played a role in causing the crash,” according to the AP.
PennLive.com reported that some witnesses reported sudden whiteout conditions on the interstate before the crash.
“It just turned real white,” Raul Jardine, Allentown, said, adding that all he could see were the brake lights of the car in front of him, so he slowed down and was hit from behind, according to the AP.
The Penn State-Lehigh Valley men’s basketball team was heading to a game in New Kensington when the team’s chartered bus was hit by a tractor-trailer, according to university representatives. Those officials said there were no serious injuries to anyone and the students were “on a warm, dry bus” but were being taken to a hospital as a precaution, according to the AP.
Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency spokesman Cory Angell said an emergency operation center was activated and a special response team was at Fort Indiantown Gap to deliver stockpiled supplies such as food and water if they are needed, according to the AP.
Police said the interstate would remain closed until at least midnight, and people wishing to recover their cars should call state police in Lebanon County after 6 a.m. Sunday, according to the AP.
State police have established detours around the crash scene.
Accident reconstruction crews were on scene Saturday night, as were several area tow companies. Those companies will be providing state police at Jonestown with a list of vehicles that were removed from the interstate.
Drivers can call state police at 717-865-2194 for the location of their vehicles, police said.