Dozens of vehicles crash on icy I-84

By Anya Tikka
MILFORD — Multiple accidents caused havoc on I-84 this week, with sections of the highway in New York and Pennsylvania closing down for hours at a time.

A tractor-trailer crashed at mile post 42 at 7 a.m. on Wednesday. I-84 East was closed from Exit 34 (Lords Valley/ Dingmans Ferry) to Exit 46 (Milford), reported the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, and the road reopened at about 11: 10 a.m. PennDOT advised drivers to use alternate routes when traveling in the area.

The same storm caused an accident involving several cars on I-84 in New York, leading police to shut down the I-84 westbound lanes between exits 1 and 3 near Port Jervis for several hours accompanied by a major traffic backup.

Trooper Nazzar Spenjian at the Greenville NYS Police Barracks told the Courier that between 20 to 25 vehicles were involved in the accident, including a tractor-trailer. Snow and ice were definitely contributing factors, he said.

Other reports blamed thick fog as a contributing factor.

At the start of the storm on March 3, PennDOT imposed reduced speed limits of 45 miles per hour on several highways in the region, while encouraging people to stay home.

PennDOT website cautioned that while it “has crews treating roadways around the clock, the department’s primary goal is to keep roads passable, not completely free of ice and snow.”