A Pennsylvania snow squall coupled with whiteout conditions caused a massive highway pileup Monday, killing at least three people.
Terrifying video captured the moment the 50-plus car pileup occurred involving personal vehicles and semi-trailers alike.
The accident unfolded just before 11:00 a.m. along Interstate 81 in Schuylkill County between exits 116 and 119 — approximately 50 miles northeast of Harrisburg — killing at least three motorists and sending more than 12 to area hospitals for treatment.
Shocking video showed panicked motorists frantically abandoning their vehicles as crash after crash sent cars and semi-trailers skidding across the highway and into other vehicles amid loud bangs intermingled with the cries of distraught motorists.
SHOCKING VIDEO: Dozens of vehicles collide in massive, fiery pileup on Pennsylvania highwaywww.youtube.com
According to reports, fire trucks and EMS responders also struggled to reach the scene due to the snowy conditions.
"Several vehicles were still on fire in the mid-afternoon as firefighters had to bring in water tankers due to the remote location of the pileup," Fox News reported of the dire scene.
Schuylkill County coroner Dr. David Moylan told the Associated Press on Monday afternoon that the death toll could be higher, as rescuers were continuing to work amid snowy conditions and fiery vehicles.
Pennsylvania State Police Trooper David Beohm told the news organization on Monday afternoon that the fires were hampering a full investigation.
“All it takes is one person to crash into something and you have to pull off the road, but when you continue to drive at highway speed, this is what happens,” he said.
"Much of the Northeast is shivering in temperatures that are far below average for late March," Weather.com senior meteorologist Chris Dolce said Monday. "That cold air in combination with an upper disturbance is helping to generate scattered snow showers in the region, which can briefly drop visibility below half a mile and slicken roads."
At least 50 vehicles involved in crash on I-81 www.youtube.com
Vice President Kamala Harris was the recipient of a big dose of mockery after tweeting Tuesday that America is "moving again" due to the new, Democrat-backed $1.2 trillion infrastructure spending package.
Because of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, America is moving again. That's what infrastructure is all about: getting people moving.— Vice President Kamala Harris (@Vice President Kamala Harris) 1641316560
"Because of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, America is moving again," Harris wrote in her ill-timed tweet. "That's what infrastructure is all about: getting people moving."
See, the problem was that the Harris tweet hailing the notion that "America is moving again" was posted at the same time hundreds of freezing motorists were still stranded on Interstate 95 in Virginia.
Traffic between Ruther Glen in Caroline County and Dumfries in Prince William County — not too far from Washington, D.C., where Harris calls home — came to standstill Monday and stayed that way overnight amid freezing temperatures and vehicles running out of gas.
As you might imagine, quite a few commenters pointed out to the vice president that the stranded drivers in her figurative back yard likely weren't singing the praises of the infrastructure spending package or chanting "America is moving again!"
To wit:
Correct me if I\u2019m wrong here, but the below video alone tells me that people aren\u2019t \u201cmoving\u201d on a very critical piece of actual infrastructure which is located not far from our nation\u2019s capital where you are located in a warm and toasty place at this hourhttps://twitter.com/stevechenevey/status/1478338388818284544?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1478338388818284544%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fredstate.com%2Fsister-toldjah%2F2022%2F01%2F04%2Fsecond-look-at-pete-buttigieg-after-insane-tone-deaf-kamala-harris-tweet-in-midst-of-i-95-crisis-n501679\u00a0\u2026— COVID19 Paranoia and Cowardice (@COVID19 Paranoia and Cowardice) 1641333813
And the hits just kept on coming:
Other commenters pointed out that Democratic U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine was among the stranded parties:
Unless you\u2019re Tim Kainepic.twitter.com/DFUYcsFnc3— Morgan Wilde (@Morgan Wilde) 1641321999
"One of your senators literally isn’t moving, he’s been stuck for 24 hours on the highway with thousands of other people because our infrastructure sucks butt," another user said in regard to Kaine.
Others — presumably those left of center politically — enjoyed pointing out that the not-ready-for-freezing-weather roadways actually are the fault of Glenn Youngkin, a Republican who was elected Virginia governor in November:
Except in Virginia. Thanks to Youngkin— Scott (@Scott) 1641324730
Fair point — save for the fact that Youngkin hasn't yet taken office. He'll be inaugurated Jan. 15.
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