The death toll from Monday’s vehicle pileup in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, on Interstate 81 has risen to 6 people, with an additional 24 reported as injured.
The horrific crash resulted from a snow squall that took place early Monday morning. According to The Wall Street Journal, there were more the 80 vehicles involved in the incident, 41 of which were passenger vehicles. The identities of the six victims have not been made known to the public and authorities are working to notify relatives, the outlet reported. (RELATED: Dash Cam Shows Man Avoid Truck At Last Second In Deadly 40-Car Pile Up)
A combination of fog and heavy snowfall resulted in drivers crashing into the wreckage, while passengers tried to flee the damaged vehicles and make it to shelter on the sides of the interstate, The Wall Street Journal reported. The devastating wreckage was compounded by three tractor-trailers catching fire, according to the report.
Eyewitness video captured a multi-vehicle pileup after a snow squall in Pennsylvania pic.twitter.com/sU8IC2ayU4
— Reuters (@Reuters) March 29, 2022
Assistant fire chief for the Lavelle Volunteer Fire Company, Jeremy Smallwood, described the wreckage as, “a sprawl of mangled vehicles, many with deployed airbags,” according to The New York Times.
The Schuylkill County Transportation authority reportedly assisted with the efforts to clear the road and help those stranded and injured. Those who were not injured were reportedly sent to a local Red Cross shelter for assistance.
Sections of Interstate 81 were closed through Tuesday, and it was not until Wednesday morning that the efforts to clear away the wreckage were complete, The New York Times reported. A separate section of Interstate 81 saw a similar pileup involving 50 cars and 5 injuries in February of this year.