Officials believe a snow squall clouded visibility and likely contributed to the accident.
POTTSVILLE, Pa. — A collision involving dozens of vehicles on Interstate 81 in Pennsylvania killed at least three people and sent more than a dozen others to area hospitals on Monday, authorities said. Dr. David J. Moylan, the Schuylkill County coroner, said three fatalities had been confirmed by late afternoon. He said the search of the scene hadn’t been completed because of vehicles still burning. “I suspect it could run higher,” he said. The Schuylkill County Office of Emergency Management said the crash in northeast Pennsylvania happened around 10:30 a.m. Monday. John Blickley, the agency’s deputy emergency management coordinator, said officials believe a snow squall clouded visibility and likely contributed to the accident. Estimates of the number of vehicles involved from the emergency management agency and state police ranged between 40 and 60, including multiple tractor-trailers. Blickley said emergency personnel from four different counties took about 20 patients to area hospitals for treatment. Three tractor-trailers carrying unknown cargo were on fire when emergency personnel arrived and some smaller vehicles were also on fire, he said.
