Police in Lebanon County said the crash was reported at about 9:45 a.m. Saturday in the eastbound lanes of the interstate in Bethel Township.
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Trooper Justin Summa said three fatalities had been confirmed and an unknown number of critically injured patients were flown to hospitals.
The interstate is closed in both directions and police are detouring vehicles around the scene.
Trooper Adam Reed, a spokesman for state police, said investigators believed that “passing snow squalls played a role in causing the crash”, according to the AP.
Winds had reached a speed of at least 30 mph at the time of the crash, according to The Weather Channel, and visibility was less than 2 miles. “The team is on a warm, dry bus and they are en route to the nearest hospital as a precautionary measure”, Penn State said on its website. Most vehicles involved in the 50 auto pile-up smashed into each other at angles.
She said she wasn’t aware that any of the accident victims brought to Hershey Medical Center were fatalities.
Leger said he and two other players got out of the bus to see if they could help. Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) spokewoman, Cory Angell, said the following of the 50 vehicle pile-up.
Hazardous materials crews were cleaning up spilled fluids and fuel and a state police reconstruction teams was investigating.
A light snow was falling at nearby Fort Indiantown Gap, where the National Weather Service has an observation site, said Craig Evanego, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in State College.
The bus carrying the Penn State Lehigh Valley men’s basketball team was involved in the pileup and was struck by a tractor-trailer. Authorities say multiple injuries have been reported.
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Local police were not involved in the recovery effort because no local police departments are located in the vicinity of the crash, he said.
