A deadly weekend crash on the Pennsylvania Turnpike has now claimed a third life. It happened Saturday in Montgomery County when a tanker truck carrying jet fuel was unable to stop when it came upon two vehicles stopped due to a flat tire. It struck the two and all three burst into flames. The driver of the truck and driver of the second vehicle died at the scene, now a passenger in that vehicle has also died due to injuries. The driver of the vehicle with the flat tire remains hospitalized. No identities have yet been released.
WPVI-TV reported that aerial video showed a scorched truck cab along with two other burned vehicles and fire crews spraying foam onto the tanker. The station also reported that some residents who live right off the turnpike were evacuated from their homes.
The turnpike was closed in both directions as police investigated and to allow removal of the vehicles and debris, police said. Traffic diverted at the previous exits in both direction, with drivers trapped in the backlog urged to stay inside their vehicles “due to the severity of this incident.” The center barrier was removed to allow people to turn around.