In a tragic early morning incident, three construction workers were killed on Interstate 83 in York County, Pennsylvania, after a box truck veered off course and collided with a construction vehicle, state police reported. The crash occurred just before 3:30 a.m. near mile marker 35.5, not far from Harrisburg, on the southbound lanes of the highway, as detailed by CBS News Philadelphia. The 24-year-old driver of the truck, hitting the construction vehicle first, continued down the shoulder striking the three workers who were later pronounced dead at the scene.

Following the collision, all southbound lanes between exits 35 and 36 were shut down for several hours for investigation and clean-up, prompting authorities to divert traffic onto alternative routes. According to NBC Philadelphia, police were still investigating the crash as of Wednesday morning while the closure forced commuters to snake their way onto Fishing Creek Road and Old York Road.

The workers, employed by an agency contractor, were engaged in highway crack-sealing operations at the time, indicated PennDOT spokesman Dave Thompson. In his response, Thompson expressed their deep unsettlement, saying, “Right now we're just gathering information,” and “We're obviously very shaken by this event,” as reported by FOX43. It was noted that this overnight work was announced to involve lane closures, and the crew's employer was identified as the Somerset-based CriLon Corp.

The names of the deceased have not been disclosed pending notification of their families. While the community grapples with the loss, PennDOT encouraged motorists to opt for the Pennsylvania Turnpike as a travel alternative to avoid the affected area. The department had previously issued a release a week ago about the ongoing work and necessary lane closures, a detail pointing to the persistent risks faced by those who toil on roads we daily take for granted.