Coroner identifies 3 killed in crash that shut down highway
CARLISLE, Pa. (AP) – A coroner is identifying three people who died in a crash that shut down Interstate 81 for more than eight hours in central Pennsylvania.
Pennlive.com reported Thursday (http://bit.ly/2iIPiM9 ) the victims were 42-year-old Michael Smatlak, of York, Pennsylvania, 61-year-old Terry Danner, of West Fairview, Pennsylvania, and 45-year-old James Hawkins Jr., of Bartlett, Tennessee.
Cumberland County Coroner Charley Hall says the Wednesday crash occurred near the Carlisle exits when Smatlak’s southbound dump truck crossed the median strip and struck a tractor-trailer driven by Hawkins. Danner’s pickup truck hit the other two vehicles.
State police say a tire had ruptured on the dump truck.
Hawkins was pronounced dead at the scene, while Smatlak and Danner died after being flown to a nearby hospital.
