Five people were killed Tuesday when a tractor trailer crashed into their vehicle after a separate accident disabled their car on an interstate in northeastern Pennsylvania, police said.

Five people, ages 19 to 71, were declared dead at the scene of the accident. The Lackawanna County coroner's office told USA TODAY the five people killed were family members.

An investigation of the cause of the accident is still being conducted.

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Janet Pohoda, who drove past the scene on the opposite side of the interstate, told WNEP-TV that the snow made the roads slick.

What happened?

  • Tuesday night, the female driver of a 2022 Honda Odyssey crashed into a concrete divider, on Interstate 81 in Lackawanna County, roughly 130 miles northwest of New York City, Pennsylvania State Police said.
  • An Audi A6 that carried two relatives of those in the Honda pulled over on the right side of the road immediately after the crash.
  • The occupants of the Audi crossed over the travel lanes to speak to the driver and three female passengers of the Honda. Two of the Honda's occupants stood outside the car in the left lane, while two stayed in the car.
  • A northbound tractor-trailer approached the disabled Honda and crashed into the driver's side. "Four of the pedestrians were struck, and three sustained fatal injuries," states the police report. The two people still inside of the Honda were also killed in the collision.
  • The truck and Odyssey continued to travel north until coming to a complete stop.
  • Police arrived to the scene at 5:14 p.m.
  • The interstate was shut down for about four hours so police could investigate the accident.

The driver of the Audi sustained moderate injuries and the truck driver received minor injuries, according to the police statement.

The news station reports the coroner, several fire departments and state police were called to the scene.

Information regarding the incident is still being released. USA TODAY has contacted the Lackawanna County Coroner Office for more information.

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