January 18, 2015
User @BobKellyTraffic/for PhillyVoice
Icy conditions produced havoc on the roads throughout the day Sunday.
Pennsylvania State Police have identified four of the five people who died from accidents that occurred Sunday morning due to icy conditions across the region.
Fox 29 reports that 31-year-old Eric Alan Blau was killed in the 60-vehicle accident that occured around 7 a.m. Sunday morning near the Gulph Mills exit of I-76 westbound. Blau was struck and killed after exiting his car amid a large pileup involving 60 cars. More than 30 people were injured, lanes were closed in both directions and traffic was stalled for nearly 7 hours.
State Police also identified two victims who died in another accident that occurred on I-95 on Sunday. Thomas Brennan of Lansdale and Jason Anderson of Dover were killed when a tractor trailer jack-knifed on I-95 southbound between Exit 25 (Allegheny Avenue/Caster Avenue) and Exit 23 (Girard Avenue/Lehigh Avenue). 11 vehicles were reportedly involved in the crash, which also led to lane closures.
A fourth person, yet to be identified, was killed in a single car crash on Route 55 in Gloucester County.
NBC 10 reports that a fifth person, 34-year-old Pablo Pons of Honesdale, died after being thrown from his overturned vehicle and hit by a commercial vehicle. A 12-year-old boy was also critically injured in the accident.
The weather forced the closure of all bridges operated by the Delaware River Port Authority for a short period of time before the bridges were reopened shortly after 12:00 p.m. Sunday.
All bridges are open. Number of lanes and speeds vary. #bfb #wwb #brb #cbb
— DRPA (@DRPA_PAandNJ) January 18, 2015
How can we put this plainly? THERE ARE ICY CONDITIONS ON MOST ROADS. AVOID TRAVEL UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. Sorry for yelling :)
— Philadelphia Police (@PhillyPolice) January 18, 2015
SEPTA's bus services resumed after being suspended for a short period of time this morning.
According to the report from Fox 29, emergency dispatchers handled hundreds of calls for ice-related crashes in Northampton County, Lehigh County, Bucks County, and Montgomery County.
A flood warning will remain in effect for much of the region until 11:30 p.m. Sunday night.
