A 10 vehicle collision on I-83 in southern York County caused some major congestion for commuters this afternoon.
It happened shortly after 1:15 in the northbound lane.
Police closed both lanes going north for 7 hours before crews reopened them at 8 pm.
Traffic is steadily flowing right now but during Thursday evening’s commute it was a different story.
FOX43 spoke with one driver who told us traffic was so backed up he was better off driving his boat home.
For those who drove by and got an up close look, you could clearly see cars crushed by multiple tractor trailers.
You can’t know what brand they are, they’re smashed, they’re flattened, the rigs are dripping oil,” says Joe Buell, who walked down to get a closer look.
Pennsylvania State Police says this all started when a tractor trailer driving in the left lane couldn’t slow down in time to avoid rear-ending another car.
That started a domino effect that caused the pile up.
One car carried by a tow truck got so mangled it ended up perched on the I-83 median.
“They’re just on top of each other there’s a car over the guard rail, there’s car parts about 200 feet back from the accident where everything’s stopped,” says Buell.
“They’re just on top of each other there’s a car over the guard rail, there’s car parts about 200 feet back from the accident where everything’s stopped,” says Buell.
Besides the pile up, diesel fuel and hydraulic fluids leaked but hazmat crews quickly contained them.
EMS workers took 7 people to York Hospital, and they’re all expected to be ok.
But this collision surely put a damper on the evening commute.
But this collision surely put a damper on the evening commute.
“Been in it right since the York exit on 83 and I’ve been in it for an hour and a half,” says Thomas Knickman.
The back roads were jammed with people trying to sneak away from I-83’s deadlock.
“I work down in Maryland and tried to come back roads thinking it would get out of it and it’s been a total wreck,” says Dawn Stump.
“I work down in Maryland and tried to come back roads thinking it would get out of it and it’s been a total wreck,” says Dawn Stump.
By the time we caught up with Dawn Stump her 50 minute commute had turned into 2 hours, and she wasn’t even home yet.
Before the northbound lanes opened, traffic was backed up through the Shrewsbury exit.
The lanes are expected to remain clear through the morning commute.