Winter Weather Wreaks Havoc: 20+ Vehicles Pile Up on Interstate 80

CLARION, Pa. (EYT) — Winter weather turned Interstate 80 into a series of wreckage sites on Thursday as five separate pileups forced a total shutdown of the eastbound lanes and left several motorists injured.

According to a report from Pennsylvania State Police in Clarion, winter weather that included whiteout conditions caused five separate major incidents between mile marker 42 and mile marker 59.2, beginning around 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, January 15.

The first crash occurred at mile marker 57.2 in Beaver Township. Approximately 20 commercial and passenger vehicles were involved. Police reported minor injuries at the scene. Traffic was rerouted from exit 53 to exits 62 and 64 to bypass the wreckage. Both eastbound lanes were shut down for several hours as crews worked to clear the highway.

Videos submitted by Joel Kerle

A second crash at mile marker 56.3 involved two commercial vehicles and one state police vehicle. Authorities reported minor injuries in this eastbound collision.

At mile marker 47, a commercial vehicle jack-knifed, trapping the driver inside. The Emlenton Fire Department reported that nine personnel responded in whiteout conditions to perform the extraction. According to the department, their new light rescue vehicle allowed crews to reach the scene despite heavy traffic backlogs. The driver was removed with minor injuries. The fire department noted that they received assistance from several partners, including the Emlenton Area Ambulance Service and fire departments from Clintonville, St. Petersburg, and Parker.

Westbound traffic also faced delays. Police said two commercial vehicles crashed at mile marker 59.2, shutting down one lane for approximately two hours. Minor injuries were reported before the lanes were reopened.

A fifth crash happened at mile marker 42 westbound. Police said two commercial vehicles struck each other, but no injuries were reported.

Multiple state police stations, EMS personnel, tow companies, and PennDOT assisted at the various scenes. Police said other crashes and disabled vehicles were reported throughout the county as the interstate incidents unfolded.

The post Winter Weather Wreaks Havoc: 20+ Vehicles Pile Up on Interstate 80 appeared first on exploreJefferson.