Top Stories of 2022: No. 1- New signs, more weather stations installed after deadly I-81 pileup in Schuylkill County

Dec. 31—After a lengthy investigation, state police determined that the pileup on Interstate 81 in Foster Twp. on March 8 that killed six people, injured 29 and was one of the largest multi-vehicle crashes ever in Pennsylvania was caused by weather.

The accident involved 106 vehicles, Schuylkill County Emergency Management Agency Coordinator John Matz said.

The tragedy, meanwhile, has led to safety enhancements on the 65 miles of I-81 between I-78 and I-80.

Matz said his office worked with PennDOT, state police and local firefighters and EMS organizations to make the highway safer and better coordinate responses to large-scale incidents.

Matz said PennDOT installed additional electronic speed signs along the highway, allowing quicker communication to motorists of lowered limits based on driving conditions, making them aware sooner of possible danger.

Matz said PennDOT is also increasing the number of traffic cameras on I-81 and is installing additional weather stations to keep ahead of deteriorating conditions.

"The cooperation has been fantastic across the board," he said.

Fog and a snow squall

It was around 10:30 the morning of the crash when a snow squall and fog reduced visibility in the northbound lanes near the Minersville exit.

Police don't know exactly what happened first, but when the squall passed, the level of destruction was evident.

The 106 vehicles included tractor-trailers, SUVs and passenger cars that collided in both lanes over a long stretch of the highway.

During the initial crash, one tractor-trailer caught fire, and it spread to other trucks and passenger vehicles.

The Schuylkill County Coroner's Office confirmed that the six people killed were inside or near vehicles that caught fire, and they had to use DNA to identify them.

Those killed were Edward Ramos, 43, and Rita Matos, 40, both of Carlisle; Terri Stull, 56, and Douglas Teeter, 57, both of Lexington, Massachusetts; Douglas William, 69, of Pine Grove, West Virginia; and, Domingo Diaz, 66, of Brooklyn, New York.

Matz said 26 others were transported by ground for treatment and three by helicopter. Another 80 people were evaluated by emergency medical services personnel. Along with the deceased, that totals 115 people.

A state trooper was among those injured when his patrol vehicle became part of the chain-reaction crash. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment of minor injuries.

Snow squalls are often the primary cause of pileups in Pennsylvania, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service said after the crash. He said the squall that resulted in the accident occurred suddenly and that the agency could not warn motorists because radar beams had been unable to detect conditions in the mountainous area.

Father 'making progress'

One of the two dozen injured, Michael Day, 52, of Berwick, remains in a rehabilitation facility in Malvern, recuperating from a brain injury.

His son, Stephen, said his father had multiple brain bleeds as a result of his injuries, but is improving.

"We had him home for two days around Christmas," Stephen Day said. "He's making progress and getting better every day. He's made a lot of progress."

Stephen Day said he still has to drive interstate highways for work, but it's different since the crash.

"It makes you think a little more about being safe," he said.

Matz credited training and cooperation in making the best of the emergency response.

"Everybody did their part, and within four and a half hours, everyone was off of the highway and in either medical facilities or shelters," he said.

Firefighters and EMS personnel also worked to get those not injured or those with minor injuries to a safe, warm place.

The nearby Wegman's distribution facility opened its employee lunch room and provided food and beverages to those caught up by the crash and EMS personnel, and people were then taken to the Goodwill Fire Company in Minersville by Schuylkill Transportation System buses.

The American Red Cross opened a reception center at Goodwill and offered blankets, food and drinks, and help where needed to communicate with their families.

Matz said those whose vehicles were inoperable from the crash were helped with lodging at the Inn & Suites hotel at the Highridge Industrial Park, the cost covered by the Red Cross with assistance from the Schuylkill County United Way.

The crash shut down I-81 for more than 24 hours while the investigation was conducted, vehicles removed and repairs made to the road damaged by fire.

Think differently

Matz said that such incidents are not common, but they demonstrate how quickly conditions can deteriorate due to weather, especially on the heavily traveled highways at high elevations.

"It was a tragic loss of life," he said. "It made us think differently, but also brought about changes that make the highway a little safer."