One killed in Interstate 80 pileup, another dies in crash in backup

LIBERTY TWP., Pa. (WBRE/WYOU) — Two people were killed in two separate crashes on Interstate 80 in Montour County Friday.

The Montour County Coroner’s Office identified the victims as Efrain Martinez-Vargas, 48 of Moosic, and Cortney Hurry, 22, of Lewisburg.

State Police say snow squalls are to blame for the first crash.

Sixteen vehicles were involved in a pileup near Danville around 2:40 a.m. Friday. Martinez-Vargas was killed after a crash between a tractor trailer, which slid on black ice, and a box truck started a chain reaction. Two others were seriously injured.

These photos were taken by members of the Valley Township Volunteer Fire Department. You can see the twisted wreckage, and in some cases burned vehicles.

Traffic was initially detoured at the Danville exit, but then a second crash occurred around 10:00 a.m. near mile marker 224 just west of the Buckhorn exit. A car, driven by Hurry, slammed into the rear of a flatbed tractor trailer. Hurry died from injuries sustained in the crash.

Nexstar’s WBRE/WYOU spoke to a woman whose son is a truck driver and was involved in the crash.

“He said there was ice on the road and the guy behind him was speeding and hit him. He slid, slid, hit the car in front of him, and he said he jumped out of the truck. When he got out another truck was coming and he had to jump over the rail,” stated Doreen Clarke, a woman whose son is a truck driver and was involved in the 16-vehicle crash.

State Police are continuing to investigate both crashes.. Interstate 80 westbound has since been reopened.