A jackknifed tractor trailer closed a portion of the Pennsylvania Turnpike's Northeast extension in Montgomery County Saturday morning.
The crash between the truck hauling food and a sedan happened on the turnpike's southbound lanes at Milepost 37.6 in Salford Township, Turnpike spokesman Carl DeFebo said. The truck driver was taken to the hospital and southbound traffic was being diverted off the roadway.
The crash broke part of the barrier wall separating northbound and southbound lanes, knocking three sections of the barrier onto the northbound lanes, DeFebo said. It also caused the truck's fuel tanks to rupture, spilling fuel onto the highway and requiring an "extensive" cleanup.
Crews were working to clear the vehicles from the snow-covered roadway and to repair the broken barrier wall. Officials hoped to reopen southbound traffic by around 9 a.m. However, there was no immediate timetable for when northbound lanes would reopen.
The Pennsylvania State Police was investigating the cause of the accident. The truck driver's condition was not immediately known. The female driver of the sedan refused medical treatment, DeFebo said.
