At Least 5 Dead and 60 Injured in Multi-Vehicle Crash on Pennsylvania Turnpike
At least five people were killed and over 60 people were injured in a multi-vehicle crash on the Pennsylvania Turnpike early Sunday.
Turnpike spokesman Carl DeFebo said on Twitter that the crash involved two tractor-trailers, a tour bus and passenger vehicles.
At least 60 people have been transported to the three hospitals in Westmoreland County, DeFebo said. On Sunday, the coroner has confirmed five fatalities.
Following the incident, an 86-mile stretch of the turnpike is closed from New Stanton to Breezewood exists.
DeFebo told NBC News that they have yet to identify the cause of the crash. “We just don’t know,” he said.
Crews are on scene of a multi-vehicle crash with fatalities on @PA_Turnpike, milepost 86 westbound. Crash involves 2 tractor trailers, a tour bus and passenger vehicles. Turnpike is closed in both directions from New Stanton (#75) to Breezewood (#161). A prolonged closure likely.
— Carl DeFebo (@cdefebo) January 5, 2020
DeFebo did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
About 60 patients have been transported to three area hospitals in Westmoreland County due to multi-vehicle crash on @PA_Turnpike at milepost 86 westbound. Coroner has confirmed five fatalities. An 86-mile stretch of Turnpike still closed from New Stanton to Breezewood exits.
— Carl DeFebo (@cdefebo) January 5, 2020
Photos from the wreck showed a FedEx truck crashed head-on into another vehicle.
The tour bus was traveling from New York City to Columbus, Ohio, according to WTAE.
A spokesperson with Excela Health told WTAE that Frick Hospital in Mount Pleasant received 25 patients, nine of whom were younger than 18 years old. The ages of the victims range from 7 to 52.
The UPMC Somerset Hospital received 18 patients, a spokesperson told WTAE. Six of those patients were younger than 18. Fifteen of the patients have since been treated and released.
