Pennsylvania

Big Rig Strikes, Kills Man Who Fled Flipped Car on Pennsylvania Turnpike

Deadly crash between Morgantown & Reading interchanges closes Pennsylvania Turnpike for more than 7 hours.

What to Know

  • A man died after being struck by a tractor-trailer after getting out of an overturned car along the Pennsylvania Turnpike westbound.
  • Two other people who got out of the flipped car fled the scene, Pennsylvania State Police said.
  • The road remained closed for 7 hours between the Morgantown and Reading interchanges as investigators searched for clues.

A passenger who had jumped out of a car after it overturned on the Pennsylvania Turnpike died after being struck by a passing tractor-trailer.

The 25-year-old man from Brooklyn, New York, and two other people got out of their Hyundai Sonata after it overturned near milepost 292 in Lancaster County around 2:20 a.m. Thursday, Pennsylvania State Police said.

A Ford Mustang and a commercial vehicle stopped at the scene to help out, police said.

A UPS big rig then struck the overturned car and Mustang on the highway between the Morgantown (298) and Reading (286) interchanges, killing the 25-year-old man, police said. 

The two other people who got out of the Sonata ran off, troopers said.

Three other people suffered minor injuries.

Pennsylvania State Police warned drivers to use alternate routes as they expected the road to be closed until at least 8 a.m.

All vehicles were forced off the road at Morgantown. Earlier, the Pennsylvania Turnpike tweeted the detour.

Police finally reopened the turnpike at 9:30 a.m. 

No word yet if any charges will be filed.

Correction: This story has been updated to reflect the county where the crash occurred.

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