Three people reported to have died in the multiple car crash which took place on icy roads in Pennsylvania following a snowstorm

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

A dangerous cold snap in the US northeast has been blamed for causing a fatal pile-up of dozens of vehicles on a Pennsylvania highway.

Officials had warned people to stay indoors away from what the National Weather Service described as “life threatening” cold. Wind chill advisories were in effect over parts of nine states extending from northern Pennsylvania to western Maine, with forecasters expecting gusts up to 45 miles per hour (72 kph).

'Life-threatening' cold to hit north-eastern US, weather officials warn Read more

While the storm was not bringing much snow to region, a squall outside Harrisburg, Pennsylvania triggered a pile–up of more than 50 cars and trucks, shutting an interstate highway, state police said. Multiple people died in the accident, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency said on its website.

The agency did not say how many people had died and a spokesperson could not be reached for immediate comment but reports suggested three people had been killed.

Officials warned that the cold would intensify through the day and into Sunday.

“Wind chills will be getting colder and colder as the day goes on,” said Alan Dunham, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Taunton, Massachusetts.

The temperature in Boston was expected to drop to - 21C (-7F) but feel as cold as - 34C (-30F) with the wind chill.

New York City was bracing for its coldest night in 20 years. Mayor Bill de Blasio said officials had put on extra staff to help residents who had lost heat.

“It’s so important to take this seriously, to stay indoors to the maximum extent possible,” de Blasio said.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Some 50 vehicles were involved in the fatal crash. Photograph: Daniel Zampogna/AP

At Boston’s Pine Street Inn 485-bed homeless shelter, workers were finding cots, mats and even chairs to accommodate the roughly 600 people they were expecting tonight, said spokeswoman Barbara Trevisan.

“No one will be turned out for lack of space,” Trevisan said.

In Boston, some hurried through their mornings to get outdoor chores done before the worst cold set in.

“Right now I’m going to drink a coffee” to stay warm, said Carmen Pichente, 40, en route to her job at a Boston restaurant. “Tomorrow, I’m going to stay at home all day.”

Others brushed it off.



“It’s nothing. I lived in Boston all my life,” said Eddie Brown, 51, a delivery truck driver out on his rounds. Asked why he wasn’t wearing a coat, Brown replied, “I got long underwear on.”