2005 Thanksgiving Accident on I-80, Emlenton, PA

I was asked to give a report on our accident. To the best of my knowledge, this is what happened.

We were travelling from Akron, OH to DuBois, PA heading eastbound on I-80 in our blue van [#4 on the diagram above]. We had just passed exit 42 and were approaching the Emlenton bridge. Visibility was ok, but snow was blowing across the bridge. We could see traffic on the bridge had slowed down, but because of the curve in the road before the bridge, I was unable to see if it had stopped. As I got closer I saw traffic had stopped. I was able to stop about 15 feet behind a semi [#2] who had completly stopped in the passing lane. "Why?" is the big question.

I looked in my mirror and saw a white cargo van [#5] coming at me and not slowing down - at all. He hit our blue Chevy Venture and launched us to the left of the semi we were stopped behind. [see photo]

We heard several other crashes and began praying for my brother-in-law George, and our daughter Brooke. They were traveling behind us in a Ford Ranger [#7]. After the crashes stopped, we made sure that the boys were ok. And I climbed out my window.

I saw the white Enterprise van that hit us was also hit by another semi truck [#6] that had jack-knifed into him. [see photo] I ran back to see if he was ok. Miraculously, he and his wife and two kids weren't seriously injured. I found out later that his wife was taken to the hospital for a possible ankle injury. He asked me to help him get the door open, but it wasn't moving. I told him I needed to find my daughter first.

I crawled under the semi beside us and saw the green Ranger. It had been hit by the jackknifed semi [#6]. [see photo] I ran up to them and made sure they weren't hurt. They both had hit their heads, Brooke's back was/is sore, and George had a cut on his index finger. [George later found out a piece of glass was stuck in his ear drum, and had to have it removed.] Firemen began to show up at this time... I think. I was a little stunned by this time. The man in the silver truck [#3] was walking back to see what happened. His chin was split open from the accident. I'm not sure, but I believe the semi that hit George [#7] pushed George into the back of the silver truck.

I then went back and told Daisy that Brooke and George were ok. I started to pick up some of the contents of our van that were thrown from the windows. The rear and two side windows were shattered on our van. [see photo] So, I packed our sleeping bags around to keep the cold air from blowing in, grabbed my camera, and began to take pictures.

The firemen took us to their truck where we could stay warm. By the way, all the firemen were awesome and did a great job. Once we were in the truck we met Janet. She was driving a black Dodge Dakota. [#1] From her we found out that she had trouble with her truck and it had stalled on the bridge. The right lane traffic had probably stopped because there wasn't room to pass. Again, the big question is, why did the semi in front of us in the passing lane stop? I couldn't see in front of him, but traffic may have been stopped. I don't know.

The only other cars that I know were involved were a black pickup [#8] that somehow did a 180 after being hit by the third semi? [#9] I'm not sure, but the black truck then hit George [#7] and then the third semi [#9] was able to turn left and sheered off the back of the second semi [#6] and avoid running over both pickups in front of him. [see photo] I believe that by hitting the trailer of the 2nd semi he seemed to push the second semi away from George's Ranger [#7] and possibly saving their lives or at least from more injuries.

I couldn't see anything beyond the third semi [#9]. When you think of what could have happened to us in our van, to Brooke and George in his truck, to the family in the van that hit us, and to the couple in the black truck behind George - I'd say it was a miracle.

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OTHER PHOTOS:
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George's Truck:

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The white Enterprise van that hit us: