A 57-year-old man from Butler, Pennsylvania was killed earlier this week after his Honda was hit head-on by an 18-wheeler tractor trailer.
According to reports, a tractor-trailer crossed over the median of Route 8 in Middlesex Township, Pennsylvania and crashed straight into Kristopher Schmitt in his Honda Sedan. Schmitt was killed at the scene. After striking Schmitt’s vehicle, the 18-wheeler crashed through a guardrail and went down a hill into a ditch.
This crash set off a chain reaction of other vehicle collisions. Schmitt’s Honda, after being struck by the tractor-trailer, spun out and was hit by a pickup truck. This pickup truck then struck a Mercedes.
According to police, a video camera inside the truck may help reveal the exact cause of the crash.
Both drivers of the pickup truck and the tractor-trailer were transported to Pittsburgh-area hospitals for treatment. The severity of their injuries has not yet been reported.
Further complicating the wreck is the cargo of the truck. The tractor-trailer was hauling coal and ash, and clean-up efforts to remove this from the ditch where it crashed were reportedly extremely challenging for the emergency responders, and lasted well into the night.
Police have not released an official report at this time, and no official cause for the wreck has been determined.
