15 March 2023- Police say that two tractor trailers and a box truck were directly impacted during a crash on the Pennsylvania Turnpike earlier this month, causing one death.
Pennsylvania State Police say around 2pm on March 1st, a 2016 Volvo 18 wheeler with a trailer was traveling westbound on the Pennsylvania Turnpike near mile marker 186.5 when it encountered a change in the roadway caused by construction. The construction created a crossover pattern that sends all vehicles into the eastbound tube of the tunnel for a bidirectional traffic pattern.
The driver of the Volvo truck allegedly failed to stay in his lane when he struck a Freightliner box truck’s side view mirror as both vehicles were traveling in opposite directions in the tunnel. This caused the driver of the Volvo to lose control and strike a second tractor trailer, a 2016 Freightliner also with a trailer. The Freightliner was following the box truck, meaning the Volvo truck crossed traffic lanes.
The Volvo that allegedly caused the accident continued in the opposite lane, eventually hitting the tunnel wall twice. It was the second hit, according to police, that killed the driver of the Volvo.
Police did not release the name of the deceased Volvo tractor trailer driver, but describe him as a 36 year old white male from Portland, Oregon. The driver of the Freightliner box truck who suffered facial lacerations was described as a 57 year old white male from Womelsdorf, PA. Finally, the driver of the 2016 Freightliner tractor trailer was described as a white male, 45, from Harrisburg, PA. The latter had no injuries.
Responding to the scene was the Fulton County Coroner, Fannett Metal Fire and Ambulance, PSP Troop H’s C.A.R.S. unit, Troop H’s F.S.U. unit, as well as Troopers from PSP-Newville.
