No injuries in Turnpike tractor-trailer icy accident (with video)
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Tow truck crews work to remove a jack-knifed FedEX truck between the Harrisburg East and Gettysburg Pike exits along PA 76 Tuesday morning. (Mike Bupp/The Sentinel)
Icy conditions led to several crashes throughout the Central Pennsylvania area this morning, and the bulk of the accidents around the midstate have been cleaned up, according to police reports.
State police at Newville said the tractor, driven by Eduard Paltis, 32, of Brooklyn, N.Y., came to rest in a jack-knifed position at mile marker 238.8 a little after 7 a.m., blocking both westbound lanes as well as the berm.
A heavy wrecker was brought in to get the truck off the road. Traffic had to be detoured onto Interstate 83 to Route 581 to U.S. 15 for over two hours to rejoin the turnpike at the Gettysburg Pike interchange.
The westbound lanes reopened at 9:45 a.m. between the Harrisburg West and Gettysburg Pike interchanges in Cumberland and York counties.
No injuries were reported, according to police.
Westbound traffic only was permitted at the Harrisburg West accident.
Traffic was being detoured off the turnpike to Interstate 83 North for three miles to Pa. 581 West for three miles, to Route 15 south, re-entering the turnpike at the Gettysburg Pike Interchange.
State Police at Troop H in Harrisburg said they have slowly been cleaning up reported crashes all morning. Several small accidents tied up traffic on Interstate 81 in Dauphin County, forcing the brief closure of the Progress Avenue Exit at one point.
State Police at Newport said accident reports have popped up “here and there” in Perry County, but the majority of the incidents have been cleared.
A crash closed Routes 22/322 Eastbound in Perry County for awhile. A car overturned near the Newport Exit in Franklin Township. There have been multiple accidents reported in Perry County, according to police.
Freezing rain started coming down about 6:15 or 6:30 a.m.
