PennDOT and county 911 dispatchers say a tractor-trailer collision is halting a portion of westbound lanes on Interstate 283 in Dauphin County Friday night.
Around 6:21 p.m., dispatchers reported that at least one tractor-trailer veered off the highway and into a forested area close to mile marker 6.1. Although the exact number of vehicles involved was not immediately known, PennDOT said that multiple other vehicles were engaged.
Between Vine Street and Tollhouse Road, Interstate 283 West is closed.
At first, dispatchers stated that there had been injuries in the collision, but it is unknown how many people were hurt or how serious their injuries were. According to PennDOT, at least one of the other vehicles caught fire, but as of 7 p.m., there were no reports of injuries.
The tractor-trailer’s driver informed first responders that his truck was carrying about 150 gallons of fuel, which the workers reported was leaking into the wooded area.
According to dispatchers, emergency personnel are using the westbound lanes to reach the scene of the collision. There is a lane restriction on the eastbound lanes.
Although the exact duration of the westbound lanes’ shutdown is unknown, dispatchers predicted that it would last four to five hours.
Stories by
Madison Montag