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Article published February 24, 2010
3 hurt in 13-vehicle pileup
NORTH SEWICKLEY TWP, Beaver County — Icy road conditions late Feb. 17 could be to blame for a 13-vehicle pileup that closed for seven hours a portion of the Pennsylvania Turnpike between the New Castle and Cranberry exits. The crash about 11:10 p.m. involved five tractor-trailers and eight passenger vehicles all traveling in eastbound lanes, authorities said. Three people were injured, emergency officials said, and were taken to hospitals; however, none of the injuries was considered serious. While the highway was closed, police detoured traffic onto Route 60 North to Route 422 East, to Interstate 79 South. Motorists were then able to re-enter the Turnpike at the Cranberry interchange. The eastbound lanes reopened at 7:06 a.m., a Beaver County dispatcher said. "What started this was a jackknifed tractor-trailer," said turnpike spokesman Carl DeFebo, "which set off a chain-reaction accident." Rescue workers at the scene noted freezing drizzle at the time of the crash made the road surface slippery and likely caused or was a contributing factor in the crash. The Homewood, Koppel, Chippewa and Big Knob volunteer fire departments assisted police. Medevac, Chippewa and Quality ambulances took the injured to UPMC Passavant Cranberry and Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh.
