Overturned tractor-trailer dangles off I-79 flyover ramp
Mike Jones/Observer-Reporter
A tractor-trailer crashed on the Interstate 79 flyover in South Strabane Township shortly before 4 p.m. Wednesday.
Sean Dobich/For the Observer-Reporter
Sean Dobich submitted this photo from the scene of Wednesday’s tractor-trailer crash on the Interstate 79 flyover in South Strabane Township.
A tractor-trailer overturned on the Interstate 79 flyover ramp in South Strabane Township and nearly careened off the overpass, leaving part of the rig dangling precariously from the side of the span for several hours Wednesday afternoon.
Miraculously, the driver of the rig suffered only minor injuries in the rollover crash, and the nearly 40,000 pounds of cardboard boxes loaded in the trailer that spilled onto an on-ramp below missed striking any vehicles.
“We and the driver are incredibly lucky that it didn’t tip any farther,” South Strabane fire Chief Jordan Cramer said. “Had he been carrying a heavier load, we’d be having a completely different conversation.”
The crash happened about 3:45 p.m. and closed the northbound flyover ramp on I-79 and the southbound on-ramp connector from Interstate 70 for nearly four hours as crews stabilized the rig and worked to remove the wreckage and debris. The westbound lanes of Interstate 70 near Washington were closed for about 15 minutes while three tow trucks from McAdoo Towing pulled the trailer back onto the overpass.
A state Department of Transportation worker inspected the flyover ramp and determined there was no structural damage to the overpass, allowing for all sections of both interstates to reopen about 7:30 p.m. The driver, who was not immediately identified, had minor injuries and was evaluated at the scene, but he declined further treatment at a hospital, Cramer said.
The crash made for a surreal sight as the trailer dangled upside down with its rear wheels facing skyward. The cab of the vehicle did not go over the side, and a diesel leak was quickly contained by firefighters at the scene, Cramer said.
“There was a small portion of the cab that was crushed, but the vast majority of the cab was still on the (flyover) ramp,” Cramer said.
The crash caused heavy delays around Washington, with traffic being backed up in the northbound lanes of I-79 past the Laboratory exit, while the I-70 eastbound lanes were jammed from the Eighty Four interchange back toward the interstate’s south junction.
The I-79 northbound flyover ramp, which opened in November 2013, is a growing concern for first responders worried about tractor-trailer rollover crashes in the area, Cramer said. There have been multiple overturned rigs in that area, although this is the first time one came so dangerously close to going over the edge onto the highway below.
“The flyover is a problem spot. It’s a concern,” Cramer said. “It’s not if, but when. And it happened to be today.”
It’s not known if PennDOT will be making adjustments to the flyover area, such as adding walls to the overpass to prevent tractor-trailers from launching over the side. Cramer said firefighters were fortunate the cab was not hanging from the overpass, which would’ve made the rescue and cleanup much more difficult.
“It’s a situation we’ve been talking about,” Cramer said of the rollover crash.
South Strabane was assisted at the scene by North Strabane firefighters and the Washington County Department of Public Safety’s hazardous materials team. State police are investigating the crash, although it was not immediately known if the tractor-trailer driver would be cited.