Drivers recount deadly multi-vehicle crash closes part of I-81 in Schuylkill County 

Driving in zero visibility makes absolutely zero sense.

Just shows how bad drivers are

Being a long haul Commercial Truck Driver myself, I will say that the roads have become so much more dangerous because of so many unskilled reckless Commercial Truck Driver's "Following Too Close"!!!!!!!!!!! I have had so many close calls of being rear ended while operating my 80,0000 gross vehicle weight semi tractor 53' trailer by other same sized vehicles being in such close proximity at high rates of speed, and have witnessed these heavy tractor trailer vehicles threaten the lives and welfare of other smaller sized vehicles by their reckless actions of Following Too Closely behind and am not at all surprised about this type of multiple vehicles pile up crash occurring upon our nations highways system. The major problem causing these types of massive collisions of not only multiple vehicles but also involving an lesser amount of vehicles still constitute an issue from an lack of enough traffic supervision by law enforcement to enforce traffic safety. One occasion while I was driving Truck in Indiana the beautiful sunny weather changed within a short time to an white out of frozen fog and even though I had slowed my vehicle and was using four way hazard lights to warn other motorists of my presence other heavy haul trucks continued speeding past me as though there was no vision impairment and adverse road and weather conditions. It is the larger vehicles that are supposed to possess the Professional Skills Training and Experience to maintain an safe following distance and safety cushion all around their vehicles, and also to look far enough ahead to be able to recognize traffic problems and to act accordingly to these hazards in order to avoid becoming involved in an traffic collision mishap. It is the big rig that needs to be aware of and look out for the smaller vehicles in their daily duties.

To all saying if they had just slowed down. Most did but a big rig doesn't slow down as quickly as a car etc... so the pile-up began the instant the snow squall hit. Even a firefighter said in another video within 5 minutes of the snow squall warning they got the calls about the pile-up and his firetruck was sliding when only going 2 mph and trying to stop. Listen to most of the witnesses and they all started slowing down the best they could. It hit many vehicles suddenly. It's not like the snow squall just sat out in an empty stretch of the road waiting for everyone. It moved in on a long busy stretch of hwy at once. Snow squalls can move in from any direction.

Prayers for each person involved...

Stupidity is very common these days.Way too common.

I drive that stretch every week . No matter what the weather conditions are people and trucks don't abide by the speed limit. I've driven that in blizzards and the trucks go by doing 65 70 with no regards to human life. Those that caused the accident and those that were speeding should be arrested for manslaughter!!!!.

Francisco Díaz is my dad and I thank God he is alive and nothing but a few cuts on his arms, he did an amazing job on how to maneuver and acted on time 🙏🏼 Sending prayers to those that were involved and their families ❤️🙏🏼

Let's not forget tailgating.

Maybe open up your eyes and slow down when ya see weather like this just a thought don't use excuses ya can't see anything...

They were all flying going way too fast.... That one guy pulled over and he was fine... Probly the only one that stopped

And that's why I always check the weather and traffic. If I don't like it. I'm going to find another route or pull over and wait.

Why would you drive so fast, when you can't see 30 feet ahead of you?

White out condition with zero visibility? That alone would make me pull over.

I live near there... Wow just absolutely terrible

This year seems to be full of these weather related multi vehicle pileups. Getting crushed by a semi from behind is absolutely deadly.

Same thing every year it seems. People going highway speeds(including semi trucks) in white out or close to white out conditions. Honestly just stay off the highway when its like that, slowing down wont help when everyone else is going full speed. Majority of those vehicles dont hit the brakes at all, so they are literally flying at 50+ MPH blindly.

I was going to head this way to get up to the 80. I was just too tired and anxious. Condolences to those who lost there lives.

dont understand why they drivin so fast 🤷🏼‍♂️

People driving with they’re right foot in HELL!

I was one of the first police on scene of that that night and it just blew my mind

I don't necessarily disagree with you but sometimes staying home just isn't an option !

I will be celebrating 16 years as a volunteer firefighter and EMT-P in August. This is extremely sad

Always trucker speeding I’m a trucker and this is crazy getting worse every year, why not slow down on roadway’s,

I stay off the road in those conditions.

Was there more trucks than cars?

How they get IT to do the news report?

People driving to fast

I see the issue. There’s a swift truck and a jb hunt truck there

never slow down in fog or snow ..... but drive carefully at all times .... snow or fog will NEVER hurt anybody ...

Couldnt see a thing was everyones answer.!? Idiots probably shouldnt of been driving so fast, especially with low or zero visibility.

Us drivers OMG I can't see a thing slows from 85 to 70 mph OMG I still can't see a thing Bang 🔥🔥🔥🔥 RIP!! Every other nationality in the world OMG I can't see a thing slows from 75 down to 35mph continues on @ that speed until visibility and road conditions improve and then arrives home safely. I've driven all around the world including the US and my comparison is %100 true! Drive @ the speed that the law and then the conditions allow!!! The truckers are actually the worst my god when I saw that wrecker roll right into the mess @ speed that proved my point!!!

All you dummies either know the area or had to have seen the signs stating snow squalls. All of you were driving too fast for the conditions and didn’t have enough sense to slow down, that’s why you wrecked. I’m way too familiar with that area and see speeding drivers barreling through thick fog. I’m surprised this didn’t happen sooner on that stretch.

Wonder why they drive so fast in bad weather. Went home for Christmas and people were driving 30 while truckers continued on around 70 after they passed we seen several had wrecked

Any pictures from the front of the pile-up?

I've watched many of the videos the one I'm going to use as a reference is the one where the truck carrying acetylene tanks gets hit. Having driven on I90 along Lake Erie I can tell you I didn't see any whiteout conditions in the videos I saw. Snow and what looked like some fog making for VERY VERY poor visibility and everyone should have slowed way down

0:34 My boy Mike's charger

And had just gone through their two hours prior. I got lucky I didn't get caught up in that mess.

And here I poke along, right lane, at 55 mph, in good conditions.

If you are one of the first few cars in an unfortunate event like this do not get anything and get away. Leave your car and get as far off the road as possible.

It's rude when someone looks at their phone qhile talking to you... why your reports doing that?

Useless truck driving school grads without CB's..

A fender bender is a totaled car nowdays. Body shops can't get any help, they are quickly becoming a thing of the past in this throw away society.

lost of visibility does not happen out of nowhere except if you get a huge amount of water splashed on your car or something similar.

His charger just sitting there😅

why wasn't the road salted?

People can't say they were never warned. I believe every phone in this area beep the warnings do not drive unless necessary white out snow squalls expected highly dangerous high winds people still drive next time maybe they'll know better when you hear that warning pull over

It's crazy how fast a lot of those drivers were going. When you have zero visibility, either pull the F over or go 25mph. This could have been prevented, or at least the brunt of it prevented if people had just slowed down.

Glad 80plus dangerous drivers now off the road.Could not see because they were doing 80mph....Dont know how to drive properly and look ahead to properly adjust speed. This had several driver error reasons why it happened to these drivers and many were NOT because of a white out!

THIS IS INSANE People, if the weather is like this, STAY HOME. Live to drive another day. It just isn't worth it. I also want to mention that a man who took video at the scene excused himself from his audience a few minutes in and went to see if he could help other people. God bless him and those like him.

sure .... they were driving full speed with that fog.

45 mph is the law

Hey, it’s snowing out side so let’s hit the highways and drive super fast! Yeah!

Most people have no iddea how to merge on a highway ...they don't use turn signals....they don't adapt their speed to weather conditions....they don't keep enough distance from the cars/trucks in front.....they hang out in the passing lane instead of passing and moving in the right lane.......on wipeout conditions you should have the 4 way flashers on and drive 30-40 mph tops... sad day 😞

I have an AC/DC song in my head..

Dudes charger still sitting there

😥🙏🙏🙏

Oh

Driving like that in them conditions is stupid

Horrible.

💪🏽✝️💪🏽🇺🇸 Prayers for EVERYONE . Life is so fragile relish the journey ..,

Every one of those truck drivers should lose their licenses for life! I watch dash cameras from these trucks. There was not one of these azzholes that were doing under the speed limits! Not a signal one! When it is white out conditions,as a truck driver, you should be doing 35 40 mph! These guys were still driving 60+ mph!

How many tickets have been issued? I suppose the cops will never sort out the responsibilities.

I wish everyone would STOP BLAMING THIS ON WEATHER... "I could'nt see a thing" YET YOU CONTINUE TO DRIVE AT THE SPEED LIMIT! Weather contributed... IDIOTS caused this.

Sorry but you drove right into that one

Was anything learned? Like driving too fast for conditions? Like not being able to stop in the distance you can see out to?

I think they need to recount and it should be pretty evident is how fast people were driving like typical fools in inclement weather Like the newer saying goes do stupid things win stupid prizes

It was a sudden weather change that should be a weather forecast that can be shared on the radio or tv to warn ⚠️ drivers. Feel sorry for the life lost 😞 in accidents like this 😞.

They were driving too fast

Kenny started it.

Impressive

Surekill highway

Looks like no commen sense was used. white out condition. No one seem to slow down. Always in a hurry.

Low general speed limits bring people drive without care and too fast when they should reduce speed.

Drive slow

Sometimes a snow squall white out can come without notice. I've seen it in my youth. It came fast and hard. No warning. So the critics should shut up

slow down...just a thought

Not one idiot talks about pulling over and stopping. Do not continue driving. Any sane person knows squalls last 10- 20 minutes max.

What an amateur reporter

Cause of the pile up.... most of the guys stopped on interstate Keep moving slowly If you can't see guy behind can't see you plus his stopping distance just shorted

Candy gerken......can't make this crap up

81 is a long road.. what state?

So sad! On a funny note: If Nikki Krize, the reporter in this story, married Mike Wolfe from the show American Pickers, she would be Mrs. Nikki Krize Wolfe.

Reports very nice voice. So said.

They are bless to be alive it had nothing to do with luck God is still performing Miracles people give credit to where credit is due Thank you Jesus for saving these people🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾😇😇😇😇😇

Ah a little to late to say slow down.

Why werre these drivers going so fast for the conditions? Do they think they are Russian drivers?

O 8th I no

There’s gotta be a more efficient and safer way to move goods in this country. Are trucks really the best we can do?

Someone's premiums may be rising a little

Poor reporter she packed for early spring weather and got blasted with ice cold winds🤣 spring comes late up north

I wish everyone could just stop blaming the drivers. It's stretch of road where fog or snowsqualls swoop in without warning, and drivers are plunged from clear dry roads into zero visibility in an instant. Just stop thinking it couldn't happen to you! I honestly think they should tunnel or cover that section of road, these disasters happen every year in that stretch!

This is so sad, and what's really sad is I'd almost lay money on it that most of them trucks involved didn't have their CB'S on or tried to warn other drivers. But when they get stuck in a traffic jam, can get a word in because they all of a sudden turn them on. 🤔🤔🤔

Maybe 🤔 they will learn SLOW Down it’s not a race 😂✌️

Виновато правительство штата. Вовремя не предупредили население и не посыпали реагентами дорогу.

Most drivers (men especially) never consider weather conditions and driving speed. The odds of getting killed in a limited visibility event are pretty low. Now go back to what you were doing and forget this tragedy occurred.

Geoengineered weather

Kinda like an adhock highway Demo Derby!

Trucker's better stop protesting and just do their job.

Nicki Cries?? 🤣😂🤣