LIBERTY TWP., MONTOUR COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Interstate 80 westbound in central Pennsylvania is back open after two separate crashes took the life of two people.
The Montour County Coroner's Office has just identified the victims as Efrain Martinez-Vargas of Moosic, PA and Cortney Hurry of Lewisburg, PA.
State police say snow squalls are to blame for the first crash on I-80. 16 vehicles were involved in a pileup near Danville. 48-year-old Efrain Martinez-Vargas was killed after a crash between a tractor trailer, which slipped on black ice, and a box truck started a chain reaction. Two others were seriously injured.
The photos were taken by members of the Valley Township Volunteer Fire Department. You can see the twisted wreckage, and in some cases burned vehicles.
Valley Township Volunteer Fire Department
Valley Township Volunteer Fire Department
Man sentenced after sexually assaulting, kidnapping 14-year-old girl
Traffic was initially detoured at the Danville exit, but then a second crash occurred around 10:00 a.m. near mile marker 224 just west of the Buckhorn exit. A car, driven by 22-year-old Cortney Hurry, slammed into the rear of a flatbed tractor trailer. That crash was also fatal.
We spoke to a woman whose son is a truck driver and was involved in the crash.
"He said there was ice on the road and the guy behind him was speeding and hit him. He slid, slid, hit the car in front of him, and he said he jumped out of the truck. When he got out another truck was coming and he had to jump over the rail," stated Doreen Clarke, a woman whose son is a truck driver and was involved in the 16-vehicle crash.
Detours have been set up all day and remain in place causing major traffic delays. This is video from Route 11 between Buckhorn and Danville. Traffic was delayed.
The detours are set up on routes 42, 11, 54, and 254.
The investigations into these crashes are ongoing by state police. Interstate 80 westbound has since been reopened.
