Five dead, dozens hospitalised in horror crash in Pennsylvania, US

This image from video provided by KDKA TV shows the scene near Greensburg, Pennsylvania along the Pennsylvania Turnpike where five people were killed and dozens injured. Photo / AP

A deadly crash involving a passenger bus and multiple other vehicles on the Pennsylvania Turnpike left at least five dead and dozens injured early Sunday, shutting down a large portion of the highway.

Officials said at least 60 people, ranging in age from 7 to 52 years old, were hospitalised with unknown injuries after the crash that happened at 3.40am in Westmoreland County, around 50 kilometres east of Pittsburgh. Photos from the scene show a mangled collision of multiple vehicles including an overturned bus, two tractor-trailers, passenger cars and a smashed FedEx truck that left packages sprawled along the highway.

#BREAKING: More photos from #NewsChopper2 of the devastating multi vehicle crash involving an Ohio Coach tour bus. 5 confirmed dead and 60+ injured. @NewsmanChris @AndySheehankdka @412Storyteller and Bob Allen are covering the story from all angles. @KDKA https://t.co/XAmp8a3u4V pic.twitter.com/Pc7kH2XVaP

— Ian Smith (@ismithKDKA) January 5, 2020

The images appear to show the bus is an Ohio Coach vehicle. The company runs an express bus service that travels between New York City, Ohio and Kentucky, according to its website. Messages were left with the company seeking comment.

FedEx did not provide any other details besides that they are cooperating with authorities.
There were 25 victims transported to Excela Frick Hospital in Mt. Pleasant, Excela Health spokeswoman Robin Jennings said. Nine of those patients are under the age of 18.

The crash involved two trucks, a passenger bus and passenger vehicles and left five people dead and around 60 people injured. Photo / via AP

At least one of the 25 victims initially sent to Excela was transported to a nearby trauma center and the rest of the patients' conditions were not known, Jennings said.

Information about what caused the accident was not immediately available, and the National Transportation Safety Board investigators were called to the scene. The National Weather Service forecast for Westmoreland County early Sunday listed light unknown precipitation and an air temperature just below freezing.

Pennsylvania Turnpike spokesman Carl DeFebo said it was "premature" to say if weather was a factor in the crash. He added that a portion of the turnpike will likely be closed for the rest of the day, DeFebo said.

Emergency crews respond to a fatal crash on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Mount Pleasant Township early yesterday morning. Photo / via AP

The Tribune-Review reported that Angela Maynard, a tractor-trailer driver from Kentucky, said the roads were wet from snow but not especially icy. Maynard was travelling eastbound on the turnpike when she came upon the crash site and called 911.

"It was horrible," she told the newspaper. She saw lots of smoke but no fire. She and her co-driver found one person trapped in their truck and another lying on the ground.

"I tried to keep him occupied, keep talking, until medical help arrived," Maynard said. "He was in bad shape. He was floating in and out of consciousness."

- AP