FRACKVILLE, PA : A father and son from Lackawanna County were killed and another driver seriously injured on May, Wednesday, 24th 2017

A father and son from Lackawanna County were killed and another driver seriously injured Wednesday afternoon in a fiery crash on Interstate 81 near the Frackville/St. Clair exit.

Schuylkill County Deputy Coroner Andrew Sczcyglak said Kevin C. Novitsky, 52, and his father, Clement Novitsky, 79, both of Scott Twp., died at the scene of the crash in the northbound lanes near mile marker 121.8 in Butler Twp., about two miles south of the Frackville exit. Szczyglak said both men were burned beyond recognition and that autopsies were needed to determine positive identifications.

The crash occurred about 2:15 p.m. when the Novitskys' vehicle was hit from behind by a tractor-trailer driven by Brian Barrett, 45, of Greentown, who was not injured. The Novitskys' vehicle was pushed by the impact into a pickup truck driven by Roman Ketcham, 24, of Hop Bottom, who sustained serious injuries and was flown to a trauma center. Ketcham's pickup was pushed into the trailer portion of another tractor-trailer.

Both the Novitskys' vehicle and the tractor-trailer burst into flames and were destroyed. The second tractor-trailer pulled the pickup truck several yards north before coming to a stop.

State police at the scene said it appeared the Novitskys' vehicle was slowing behind others due to construction ahead of them.

Firefighters from Frackville, Englewood and Altamont were called to the scene to extinguish the fire that engulfed the cab of the first tractor-trailer as well as the car it collided with.
Due to the intensity and amount of fire produced by the tractor-trailer and passenger vehicle, tanker trucks were dispatched from surrounding communities to shuttle enough water to the scene to extinguish the blaze.

Police said the investigation into the crash is ongoing and that they are being assisted by state police accident reconstruction experts and also the Forensic Services Unit based at Troop L, Reading.

The northbound lanes of the interstate were closed for 10 hours, reopening about midnight, while police conducted their investigation and the vehicle and debris were removed from the highway.

Source :
2 killed in fiery crash on I-81 near Frackville