Icy roads are blamed on multiple crashes that closed Interstate 81 Monday morning.The first crash occurred around 12:30am when a tractor trailer driven by Subrmaminam Blachandran, 55, of Ontario, Canada was traveling on Interstate 81 south near Milemarker 134 in Delano Township.
Blachandran swerved to avoid a vehicle that had lost control prior on the snow/ice covered roadway. Blachandran then lost control himself and overturned into the median.
Ryan Township Fire and EMS and Delano Township Fire assisted as the scene.
-----------------------------------
The second crash occurred around 12:30am as well when a tractor trailer driven by Keemer Becks, 43, of Fayetteville, Georgia was travelling south on Interstate 81 in the same area as the previous crash.
Becks was avoiding a vehicle involved in a crash due to the icy road conditions and rolled the tractor trailer onto its left side blocking the left hand lane of Interstate 81.
No injuries were reported.
Delano Fire assisted as the scene.
-----------------------------------
A 10 mile stretch of Interstate 81 was closed overnight in both directions while crews cleaned up the scene. Northbound lanes were closed from Mahanoy City/Hometown Exit (Exit 131) to the Hazleton Exit (Exit 141) and the southbound lanes were closed from the Hazleton Beltway (Exit 141) to the Delano Exit (Exit 134). Both north and southbound lanes reopened around 5:30am.
The Mahanoy City Fire Department and Fire Police assisted with traffic control on the Schuylkill County end.
The Mahanoy City Fire Department and Fire Police assisted with traffic control on the Schuylkill County end.
Photos Submitted
 |
| Sponsored by |