At least one person killed in multi-vehicle pile-up on I-79 in Butler County

At least one person is dead in a multi-vehicle pile-up in Butler County. 

According to the Pennsylvania State Police, several crashes occurred on I-79 on Thursday morning, causing the highway to shut down in both directions, and "at least 18 vehicles" were involved. 

PennDOT added that both the northbound and southbound lanes have been closed between Exit 78 (Cranberry/Mars) and Exit 88 (Zeilienople) due to a multi-vehicle crash. 

The closure will remain in place until the crash is cleared. 

Meanwhile, PennDOT has reminded drivers that a speed limit restriction is in place on I-79 due to winter weather. Speed has been reduced to 45 in both north and southbound directions between PA 5 in Erie and all the way to Butler. 

We have a crew heading to the scene and will bring you the latest updates on KDKA-TV and KDKA.com.