County Coroner Mike Norris and Assistant Coroner Todd Eckenrode, center, stand beside the crushed car after Friday's crash on Interstate 81. (Wally Shank/The Sentinel)

3 die in car-rig crash

By Crystal Owens , November 22, 2003

Last updated: Saturday, November 22, 2003 10:36 AM EST

Three people died about 12:45 p.m. Friday on Interstate 81 when their southbound car left the road, traveled through the grassy median and collided with a northbound tractor-trailer.

Authorities say the driver and two passengers of the car were pronounced dead at the scene as a result of multiple injuries.

A news release from the Cumberland County Coroner's office identifies the driver as Chelsey Morris, 19, of Perry Street in Enola and one of the dead passengers as Michael Videtto, 21, of Aldan, Delaware County. Both are believed to be students at Lebanon Valley College in Annville.

Authorities say a 20-year-old Japanese citizen also died, but her identity will not be released until the family has been contacted.

An autopsy is scheduled to determine the cause of Morris's death.

She is believed to have been a member of the college swimming team and a former member of the East Pennsboro High School swimming team.

2 taken to hospitals

A third passenger from the car was flown to Hershey Medical Center, police say.

State police say an ambulance took the tractor-trailer driver to "a local hospital." A second tractor-trailer was also involved in the accident but police did not identify either of the truckers or the car passenger who was hospitalized.

Traffic was tied up for hours. (Wally Shank/The Sentinel)

The demolished car, which appeared to be a four-door tan-colored Toyota, ended up in the middle of the northbound lanes of I-81.

The tractor-trailer, its cab smashed in on the right side, rested halfway in the median and halfway in the northbound lanes.

The second tractor-trailer was left lying on its side on the right side of the highway. Police say it was traveling in the right northbound lane beside the first tractor-trailer when the car crossed the median.

Police say the second truck driver attempted to avoid the collision and lost control of the rig. That driver refused medical treatment.

Witness helps driver

Lynne Barrett of Strafford, Mo., said she saw the wreck as it happened and rushed to call 911.

"As soon as I saw the car come across the median, I knew it was going to be bad," said a visibly shaken Barrett as she stood behind yellow police tape.

"I ran out and the driver of the (damaged) tractor-trailer got out," she said. "He kind of swerved around, holding his head until I was able to get him to sit down in the grass until police got here."

Barrett said the tractor-trailer driver had a deep laceration on his forehead that continued to bleed profusely. "As soon as we would wipe off the blood, his face would just get covered again," she said.

Portions of northbound I-81 were shut down between Exit 44 at High Street to Exit 52 at Middlesex Township for hours. Northbound traffic was routed through Carlisle, snarling commuter and downtown traffic. About 4:30 p.m., one northbound lane was opened, but traffic continued to move at a snail's pace.

Both lanes were reopened about 9:10 p.m.

At least eight Carlisle Area School District buses taking students home were delayed half an hour or more because of snarled traffic.

Mike Hurley, administrator of management services and director of transportation and safety for the school district, said some drivers were delayed in getting to their buses.

Hurley spent the afternoon fielding calls from frantic parents and placing calls to make sure the children were safe.

Motorists were left napping or sitting on top of their vehicles or walking up and down the highway to try to get a closer look at the wrecked vehicles.

Traffic on the southbound lanes of I-81 slowed to a crawl for hours as drivers gawked.

Residents in nearby homes crossed farm fields with ATVs to get a closer look.

State police were assisted at the scene by the coroner's office, area police, fire and ambulance services and Life Lion helicopter.

About 10 fire police officers from Carlisle and Mt. Holly Springs boroughs and North Middleton, South Middleton and Silver Spring townships were called in to help direct traffic through Carlisle, borough police Sgt. Brent Griest says.

Griest says fire police were mostly stationed along the detour route along Hanover and High streets. Motorists were directed to get off I-81 onto Route 465, turn right onto Route 11 and follow that through town as they made their way back to I-81 at the Middlesex interchange.

Toll in double digits

The Sentinel archives show Friday's wreck raised the 2003 death toll on I-81 in Cumberland County to 11 so far this year. In 2002, four people were killed in the county on I-81, which stretches between Shippensburg to the west and the Susquehanna River to the east.

The last deaths occurred last month in a wreck very similar to the one Friday. The three-vehicle collision Oct. 20 killed Virginia motorists Edwin Warinner, 75, and Charles Goodykoontz Jr., 74, both of Richmond.

Police say the pair perished when their southbound car crossed the median strip between Fayette and King streets in Shippensburg and collided with a northbound tractor-trailer.

Just three days earlier, Stephen Craig Reeves, 38, of East Pennsboro Township died of multiple trauma after police say his pickup left I-81 at the exit to Route 15, struck a bridge and fell into the Norfolk Southern rail yard, where it caught on fire.

Reporter Joseph Cress also contributed to this story.