WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP – An Elyria, Ohio man was flown to Altoona after two tractor-trailers were involved in an accident Sunday on Interstate 80 eastbound at mile-marker 93.7 in Washington Township, reported the state police at DuBois.
Fatmir Aliu of Snellville, Ga. was traveling eastbound when he pulled over onto the right berm. He stopped due to a flat tire. At the same time, Michael K. Houser of Elyria, Ohio was traveling eastbound and crossed over the white fog line for an unknown reason.
The right front of Houser’s tractor-trailer struck the left rear of Aliu’s just seconds after he brought it to a stop. The Houser tractor-trailer sideswiped the entire length of the Aliu tractor-trailer before veering off the right berm, traveling down an embankment and striking a culvert and several trees.
Houser, state police said, wasn’t properly using a seatbelt and thrown from his driver’s seat. He struck his head on the forward bulkhead above the windshield and became entrapped between the seats. Houser, state police said, was extricated with the Jaws of Life and flown to Altoona.
Aliu was wearing a seatbelt and sustained minor injuries as a result of the accident. He was transported to the DuBois Regional Medical Center – West. Both tractor-trailers were towed from the accident scene.
State police were assisted by the Falls Creek Fire Department, DuBois Emergency Medical Services, Eagle Environmental, PennDOT and towing services.
