York, PA : Michael Smatlak, 42, killed in I-81 triple-fatal crash in Cumberland County on Wednesday, December 28, 2016

A York-area man was one of three people killed Wednesday in a crash that closed a portion of Interstate 81 for more than eight hours in Cumberland County .

Michael Smatlak, 42, of York, was pronounced dead at Hershey Medical Center, where he was flown after the crash, according to Cumberland County Coroner Charley Hall.

Also killed in the crash were Terry Danner, 61, of West Fairview, and James Hawkins Jr., 45, of Bartlett, Tennessee, according to Hall.

The crash happened at 2:44 p.m. on I-81 northbound near mile marker 46 in South Middleton Township, according to state police. The location is near Carlisle.

Smatlak was driving a Mack Truck dump truck south on the highway when a driver-side tire blew, causing the truck to cross the median and crash head-on into a northbound Freightliner tractor-trailer, state police said. The tractor-trailer was driven by Hawkins, according to Hall.

A northbound Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck being driven by Danner then crashed into the dump truck, police said.

Hawkins was pronounced dead at the scene; Danner, like Smatlak, was flown by medical helicopter to Hershey Medical Center, where he later died of his injuries, according to Hall.

Source :
York-area man killed in I-81 triple-fatal crash