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Stretch of I-81 in Pennsylvania reopens after deadly pileup

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Posted at 6:58 AM, Mar 30, 2022
and last updated 2022-03-30 11:11:45-04

POTTSVILLE, Pa. (AP) — A stretch of an interstate highway in Pennsylvania has reopened days after a snow squall led to a deadly pileup that killed at least three people and injured dozens more.

State police tweeted the northbound lanes on Interstate 81 were opened just after midnight Wednesday.

Authorities say the crash took place in poor visibility and involved between 40 and 60 vehicles.

It was captured in videos posted on social media that showed drivers and passengers lining the snowy road and jumping out of the way as the cascade of crashes unfolded.

“I was hearing loud bangs, explosions, and then I saw the smoke," said Lillie Weaver, a driver stuck in the mess. "That was the one thing I could see was black smoke from the tractor-trailer.”

Some vehicles were mostly burned and others melted onto the highway. State police have not updated the number of fatalities.