Driver dies after tractor-trailer falls off I-81 onto railroad tracks near Chambersburg

Amber South, Chambersburg Public Opinion
·1 min read

A truck driver died after his tractor-trailer traveled off the side of Interstate 81 and fell onto the train tracks below Monday evening near Chambersburg, according to Pennsylvania State Police.

James Haywood, 58, of Chatsworth, Ga., was driving south in the left lane just before Exit 14 about 6 p.m. when he failed to make a right curve, causing the tractor-trailer to travel about 450 feet through the grassy median and off a steep embankment between the southbound and northbound lanes, according to state police and Franklin Fire Co.

The front of the tractor-trailer landed on the railroad tracks below.

A tractor-trailer driver was pronounced dead after he lost control on a curve on I-81 SB near Exit 14 and fell down a steep embankment onto railroad tracks just after 6 p.m. Oct. 24, 2023.
A tractor-trailer driver was pronounced dead after he lost control on a curve on I-81 SB near Exit 14 and fell down a steep embankment onto railroad tracks just after 6 p.m. Oct. 24, 2023.

First responders arrived to find Haywood "heavily entrapped," according to Franklin Fire Co. Many attempts were made to rescue him, but Haywood was pronounced dead at the scene.

I-81 was shut down for several hours. The 511PA Harrisburg X (formerly Twitter) account posted at 1:44 a.m. that the crash was cleared.

CSX was called to the scene due to damage on the railroad tracks, according to Franklin Fire Co.

The tractor-trailer was carrying bottled drinks, the fire company said.

A tractor-trailer driver was pronounced dead after he lost control on a curve on I-81 SB near Exit 14 and fell down a steep embankment onto railroad tracks just after 6 p.m. Oct. 24, 2023.
A tractor-trailer driver was pronounced dead after he lost control on a curve on I-81 SB near Exit 14 and fell down a steep embankment onto railroad tracks just after 6 p.m. Oct. 24, 2023.

Amber South can be reached at asouth@publicopinionnews.com.

This article originally appeared on Chambersburg Public Opinion: Tractor-trailer crashes off I-81 in Franklin County, killing driver