White Haven,PA : 8 injured in chain of crashes Monday on I-80 on July, Monday 3rd 2017
White Haven, Pennsylvania
Multiple people, including at least one child, were taken to hospitals following a pair of crashes that closed Interstate 80 westbound for several hours Monday morning.
The multiple-vehicle crashes happened between the White Haven exit 273 and Mountain Top exit 262 just before 9:30 a.m., according to a news release from state police at Hazleton.
The first crash happened in a construction zone at mile marker 267, while a more severe crash folowed in the traffic backup, Valley Regional Fire and Rescue Chief Matt Balliet said.
Vehicles involved in the crashes included cars and a tri-axle dump truck.
At least eight people were taken by ambulance to hospitals including a child, who was flown to Geisinger Danville from a temporary landing zone set up by first responders at mile marker 266, Balliet said. A landing zone closer to the crash site wasn’t possible as the helicopter couldn’t access the one-lane I-80 construction site, he said.
The child, Balliet said, was extricated from a vehicle by firefighters.
His condition and that of the other victims was unknown at press time.
Traffic and congestion from the construction site and crash forced first responders, Balliet said, to drive east in the westbound lanes for about 3½ miles. Then, they had to back emergency vehicles for about a mile down the road to get in closer to where they needed to be.
Troopers expected the road to remain closed for several hours after the crash but as of 4:30 p.m., I-80 west remained blocked to traffic as police reconstructed the crash site and Pennsylvania Department of Transportation repaired the road.
Westbound traffic was detoured off the interstate at White Haven and onto Route 940 west. From there motorists used Route 309 north to get back onto I-80 in Drums at exit 262.
State police at Hazleton said the second crash occurred right after the first, when seven vehicles were stopped on the roadway because of the crash ahead.
A Mack dump truck driven by Diego Aroca, 48, no address given, struck the rear of an SUV driven by Taylor Nowicky, 26, also no address given. Aroca told authorities that he did not see the stopped traffic.
The dump truck then struck the rear of an SUV driven by Anthony Coppolella, 40, no address given.
Coppolella’s vehicle then struck the rear of a car driven by Marlerne DoBois, 48, which then struck the rear of a car driven by Dana Sobolewski, 30.
Sobolewski’s car sideswiped a pickup truck driven by Matthew Rutkowski, 36, and struck the rear of a car driven by Dana Rutledge, 45.
Troopers said Sobolewski, Coppolella and multiple people in the Coppolellas auto were injured, and taken to the hospital for treatment of moderate to severe injuries.
Valley Regional dispatched four ambulances to the crash, along with two rescue units and one engine. White Haven, Freeland and Sugarloaf Twp. ambulances and American Patient Transport Systems Inc., also responded to aid the injured.
Fire police directed traffic and firefighters assisted with patient care.
Source :
8 injured in chain of crashes Monday on I-80