Late last month a tractor-trailer that rear-ended another car started a chain reaction crash on a Pennsylvania interstate. When all was said and done a total of 10 vehicles were involved. The crash shut down all traffic heading north on the road and took close to seven hours to clear.

In the course of the crash the impact caused a tow truck to flip onto its side. In addition to that tow truck and the tractor-trailer that started the incident, three other tractor-trailers and five cars were involved. Though the pile of metal that was left at the end would indicate otherwise, miraculously no one was killed in the incident. A total of seven individuals were hurt. Their injuries were characterized as minor.

It is unclear what caused the truck to rear-end the first vehicle. State police procured samples of blood from several of the drivers who were driving the vehicles involved in the incident. They are also focusing on whether there was something wrong with the truck or if the driver was to blame for the crash.

The trucks that operate on roads throughout the nation, including in the state of Pennsylvania, are heavily regulated. That means that when an accident does occur, a thorough investigation into the matter is conducted. Between the investigation being conducted by law enforcement and the federal agency responsible for truck safety, it is likely that the cause will be uncovered.

Civil lawsuits are often filed after a truck accident. This is because in many cases such accident result in serious injuries to those involved. Because the injuries suffered in this crash appear to be minor, it is unclear whether anyone will take that course of action.

Source: WJZ, “Vehicles Cleared Off Interstate 83 Following 10-Car Crash That Left 7 Injured,” Derek Valcourt, Sept. 27, 2013