Death toll rises to 6 after 80-car pileup on Pennsylvania highway

The death toll in the massive Monday pileup on a snowy Pennsylvania highway has risen to six people, the Pennsylvania State Police said Wednesday. An additional 24 people were injured in the devastating crash, which officials said involved 80 vehicles and sparked a “large fire.” 

There was an active snow squall — an intense burst of snow that often drastically reduces visibility — at the time of the pileup on the northbound side of I-81, a spokesperson for the state police said Wednesday. A video taken by a witness at the scene showed multiple vehicles crashing into each other amid heavy snowfall, with some drivers attempting to pull off the highway for safety. 

Three tractor trailers caught fire, according to a representative for the Schuylkill County Office of Emergency Management, and state police said there was a “large fire” involving several vehicles. Police said Wednesday there were 39 commercial vehicles and 41 passenger cars involved in the crash.

The area where the crash occurred was reopened early Wednesday morning. 

The Schuylkill County Coroner confirmed three fatalities on Monday, but had said the number was expected to rise. The six victims have not been identified.