Scranton, January 17: Five people were struck and killed by a tractor trailer on Interstate 81 in snowy northeastern Pennsylvania after they had left their vehicles following another crash, state police said on Wednesday. A mini van had lost control and hit a median on the northbound interstate in Lackawanna County at about 5:30 pm on Tuesday. Four people got out of the van as well as a person who had been following them in a separate car, police said. All were hit by the passing tractor trailer.

The coroner, several fire departments, and state police responded. County Coroner Timothy Rowland told WNEP-TV that all five people were from New York state. More information was not immediately available. Superfog Causes Multiple Accidents in US; Seven Killed, 25 Injured After 158-Vehicle Pileup in Louisiana Due to Poor Visibility (Watch Video).

A winter weather advisory had been in effect until 4 pm on Tuesday for the area, with several inches of snow tapering off in the afternoon. The National Weather Service warned of hazardous road conditions amid freezing temperatures, and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation advised motorists to use caution. Car Crash in US: Vehicle Rams Into SUV of President Joe Biden’s Motorcade in Delaware (Watch Videos).

A trucker who travelled the same direction hours later, Janet Pohoda, said the roads were slick from snow, WNEP reported. “It's sad, but I would tell them to get off the road for tonight until the roads are in better condition, you know, cleared up more," she said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)