A large pileup involving more than 50 vehicles near Harrisburg resulted in numerous injuries and several deaths on Saturday morning. Authorities from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation reported that the Lebanon County accident occurred shortly before 10:00 am as a result of strong winds and poor visibility. Officials have confirmed at least 3 fatalities, more than 40 people transported to local hospitals, and numerous other non-critical injuries.
The pileup resulted in a full shutdown of I-78 while numerous emergency crews worked to treat victims. Over 50 vehicles were involved in the wreckage, including multiple tractor-trailers, commercial box trucks, numerous passenger cars, and a bus carrying members of the Penn State Lehigh Valley men’s basketball team. Due to poor weather, as many as 70 people involved in the incident took temporary shelter at the Jonestown Fire Department. At the time of the crash, winds were recorded at over 30 mph and visibility at less than 2 miles.
As officials still work to clear the wreckage, they have confirmed at least 3 deaths and several critically injured victims. There were additional victims who suffered moderate to severe injuries.
Officials are urging local residents to exercise caution when driving during poor weather and whiteout conditions.
