The New Philadelphia State Highway Patrol Post is continuing to investigate a series of crashes that shut down I-77 southbound.
This was at the Schneider’s Crossing exit Friday afternoon.
Post commander Lieutenant Johnnie Maier says there were three wrecks around the same time, one of which appears to have caused a commercial vehicle that wasn’t involved to drive off the side of the road.
“It does appear to be a chain reaction related to traffic getting backed up onto the interstate in that area. As far as which one of those crashes occurred first I cannot answer that. One of the crashes we investigated up there was on the northbound side and the other ones were all on the southbound side.”
Thankfully, no one was seriously injured.
“We had two drivers involved in one of the crashes that did get transported with possible minor injuries just for precautionary measures.”
Maier says the crash in the northbound lanes and at least one of the other two were rear-end collisions. He reminds drivers to slow down, pay attention, and maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front of them. I-77 southbound was down to one lane at the time for tree trimming.
Copyright WTUZ Radio Inc., 2025