Multiple casualties in massive PA Turnpike crash

I travel this section of road almost every day. This is right where the elevation changes enough for rain to turn to snow/ice. Very dangerous when mixed with a series of curves that have claimed many lives through the years.

There are major crashes in this area at least once a month.


But fuck the turnpike. They just raised rates again for the 12th year in a row. I'll be taking other roads from now on, they'll get not another dime of my money.

Apparently there were a lot of children involved


[link to triblive.com (secure)]

I stay off the highway (If at all possible) when the dangers are the highest. (Snow/ice, rain, heavy travel days such as holidays, rush hour)... not worth the aftermath of something like this. Always drive defensively... look out for inattentive and careless drivers, especially at intersections. Life altering events and tragedy can be minimized.

Sleeper cell.

Iranians have cells underneath tbe concrete with bump machines and crater detonators

I KNEW IT!

Fedex

If people would slow the fuk down and put the damn cell phone down this might not have happened or been as severe!

Oh, how awful. I grew up in Pittsburgh and had traveled the PA Turnpike many times to visit relatives. No one is left there now, but I hated that trip....7 hours from the east coast, the worst driving was in the fog.

Tour bus, FedEx truck and many other vehicles. 60 people taken to hospital.

[link to www.foxnews.com (secure)]

Last Edited by nutmeg on 01/05/2020 10:08 AM

Although it seems like the last place on the planet that terrorists would attack, it would definitely cripple transportation across the state and clog up so many roads around here. This is a major route for FedEx and UPS trucks, since they both have large hubs a few miles away in New Stanton.


I'm betting Iran doesn't know this though. But it would sure terrorize plenty by them not getting their packages.

It's highly unlikely this was caused by cell phones, but speed for sure had a factor in this.

Those curves and this section is dangerous on a nice day. We had rain all day yesterday here, then the temperature dropped last night and froze everything and dropped some snow.

Very dangerous situation.

Driving the turnpike in the fog is the worst. You can't see shit in front of or behind you, especially at night, and you've got hundreds of trucks and other traffic all flying along at 70-90 mph. Bad combination.

Just a couple weeks ago, that fog froze and made a huge mess

I hate that turnpike. My worst trips, that I will never forget, happened many years ago. I would drive from Pittsburgh to New Jersey. My husband was drafted, was at Ft. Dix for basic training and AIT. Before his draft notice 4 months after our wedding, we were settled in Michigan....or so we thought. Both with great jobs. The draft changed all that, and I had to move in with my parents in Pittsburgh until I could join him on any future assignment.

I worked as a nurse, 3pm-11 shift. On weekends, my husband insisted I join him in NJ. Wanting to please him, I would drive 7 hours, starting early in the morning, across that damn turnpike. I was so sleepy....exhausted from working the night before.

One time a young state trooper pulled me over. Asked where I was going. Because I said "Ft. Dix," he must have felt sorry for me. He said the reason he pulled me over was because I was falling asleep. He said the signs of people falling asleep, they slow down, go fast, slow down, etc.

I will never forget that. He probably saved my life. No ticket, just wanted me to be safe.

Oh yes....and many times, my trips included fog. It was so scary!

Last Edited by nutmeg on 01/05/2020 10:23 AM

There was another fatal wreck on I-70, which connects to the turnpike at New Stanton, another major highway in this area. It's about 20 or less miles away from here.


[link to www.wtae.com (secure)]


that's 2 major roads closed completely at the same time. That almost never happens unless we get 3 feet of snow dumped all at once, and that hasn't happened for several years. This is going to cause a huge mess around here. So glad I'm working locally tomorrow, because this is going to cause problems for quite some time.

Isn't New Stanton where the PA State Troopers have one of their headquarters? I think that's about where I was pulled over many years ago....while falling asleep!

Last Edited by nutmeg on 01/05/2020 10:33 AM

Looks like this was closer to New Stanton where things level out, not on the treacherous hill between Somerset and Donegal.
Why did they close the Pike all the way to Breezewood?
Was this a busload of skiiers?

I was headed east bound around 4:15 am this morning and didn't have one car with me in the same lanes. Thought it was very unusual, but this explains it.

Terribly sad to hear.

Trump is just bragging about wasting two trillion into military complex, in the meantime infrastructure sux people are dying in potholes ,can't even afford to deicing and winter maintenance .

The ultimate in tds

Yes, there is a State Trooper headquarters there, they are dedicated to patrolling the Turnpike only. I think they cover a fairly large area from that location.

This happened at Milemarker 86, which is about 5 miles west of Donegal. That's the start of the major mountains, and it just gets worse the further east you go towards Somerset.

New Stanton is 11 miles West of this location.

They hit me with a 40 dollar fine because I didn't know what the fuck I was supposed to do when I got on the turnpike f
Headed south from New England. I'd never driven on the turnpike in my life. Still haven't paid it fuck Pennsylvania

The turnpike has it's own maintenance and winter maintenance, it's a private, for profit enterprise. Trust me, they can afford it.

You are supposed to get a ticket when you enter, and then pay the toll when you exit. Not sure what you didn't understand.


But yeah, fuck the turnpike and their outrageous prices.

Last Edited by Irredeemable on 01/05/2020 10:42 AM

really? you don't know how a toll road works. lol
you didn't pay it? then you will have a unpaid ticket on your record. clear it up before you renew your DL




Last Edited by Dogfood™ on 01/05/2020 10:45 AM

Thanks for the update. So it didnt happen in the foot hills, The pike flattens out as you head west from Donegal to New Stanton and toward Pittsburgh. Hate that hill between Somerset and Donegal my normal exit

If you use EZ pass it no longer registers a signal as you enter the pike. And no way to get a ticket at that point, I had to pull over and go into an office to get confirmed ticket of entry to make sure my pass registered and make sure I didnt get charged the whole pike...so yeah. Its screwed up. Have only been driving the pike for 50 years.

I hate winter driving through PA. All those mountain roads - the road conditions can change in seconds!