Six killed in I-81 pileup
The six people killed in Monday’s 80-vehicle pileup on Interstate 81 included four men and two women whose ages range from 40 to 70, Schuylkill County Deputy Coroner Albert Barnes said Friday.
He said the victims, in four different vehicles, were burned beyond recognition.
“All of the decedents were found in the group of vehicles that were on fire,” Barnes said.
Barnes said the names of those killed will be released by state police as soon as a positive identity is made and families are notified.
“Right now we’re 99.8 percent sure, but we want to be 100 percent sure,” he said. “We expect all identifications and notifications to be made in the near future.”
The accident began during a snow squall, which state police have said was “definitely a contributing factor.” Their investigation continues.
Barnes said two victims, a man and woman, were in a box truck that was one of the first vehicles involved in the crash. They were from
Montgomery County, he said.
Also killed was a man in a tractor-trailer, a man and woman in a car and another man in a car. Other than the two from Montgomery County, the deceased are thought to be from out of state.
The first victim was pronounced dead around 5 p.m. and the sixth victim around 11 p.m. Monday.
Because of the condition of the bodies, Barnes said, “You could not tell gender, hair color or ethnicity. Everybody was Doe and at that point; we didn’t know John or Jane.”
Barnes and Deputy Coroner Erin Cuff said after firefighters extinguished the flames, the large amount of water used turned to ice, making the recovery of victims even more difficult. As darkness fell, that added to the challenge.
Barnes said the remains were brought to the coroner’s facilities at the Simon Kramer Cancer Institute, where personnel searched for identifying items such as tattoos and wedding bands.
Barnes said fingerprints were impossible because of the damage from the fire.
“There was nothing,” he said.
He said the coroner’s office worked with state police to document which vehicle each of the deceased was found in, then tried to determine the type of vehicle, who it was registered to and even who may have been driving.
“We’re trying to be on the same page as the state police,” he said. “It’s a joint investigation.”
Barnes and Cuff said Monday’s scene is one they will never forget.
Cuff recalled one of the victims had a cross in his hand.
“It made me wonder if he was alive when the fire started and knew he was going to die,” he said.
Barnes credited everyone who responded that day — police, firefighters and EMS — for working together in getting the victims out of their burned vehicles, helping those injured and assisting those not hurt get off the highway.