At least 1 killed in multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 79 in Mercer County
At least one person was killed in a multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 79 in Mercer County on Thursday, officials said.
The Mercer County Coroner's Office said in a news release that 22-year-old Austin Golab, of Erie, was killed in the crash, which happened around 11:45 a.m. on Interstate 79 south at mile marker 122 in Jackson Township. The crash involved three tractor-trailers, and one other person was taken to a local hospital with unknown injuries, according to a report from the Pennsylvania State Police.
Golab was pronounced dead at the scene, the coroner said. His cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head and chest from injuries sustained in the crash, and his death was ruled accidental, according to the coroner's office.
The crash, which closed the roadway for about four hours, occurred as a winter weather storm moved through western Pennsylvania. In the state police's report, the Merer County crash happened "during white out conditions on snow covered roads." Troopers are investigating.
In a post on social media, the National Weather Service Pittsburgh said, "It only takes a little snow to create dangerous conditions on the interstate."
A multi-vehicle crash also shut down Interstate 80 in Clarion County on Thursday, state police said in a post on social media. The crash in Beaver Township happened around 10:30 a.m. It was not immediately known how many vehicles were involved or if there were any injuries. State police are investigating.