A multi-vehicle crash on northbound I-79 in Amwell Township left at least two people injured Thursday night, shutting down the highway across a stretch that spans more than a dozen miles. Washington County dispatchers said emergency crews were called to the scene around 8:20 p.m.
Dispatchers reported that crews responded to the 27.5-mile marker of northbound I-79, according to WPXI. PennDOT said multiple vehicles were involved in the crash, though the cause has not been disclosed.
One of the injured people was taken to a hospital in Pittsburgh, while the other was transported to a hospital in Washington County, the station's report states. No further details about their conditions were immediately available.
Long Stretch Of Highway Closed
The crash forced a significant shutdown of northbound I-79, with the highway closed between Exit 19 (Ruff Creek/Jefferson) and Exit 30 (US 19-Amity/Lone Pine), per the same account. That closure covers roughly 11 miles of interstate in Washington County. Channel 11 said it had reached out to Pennsylvania State Police for more information about what happened, though no response had been detailed as of the report.
Amwell Township Has Seen Serious Crashes Before
Thursday's crash is not the first time this stretch of I-79 has turned into a scene of chaos. A separate three-vehicle crash in Amwell Township injured four people and shut down the highway in both directions, according to a report from the Observer-Reporter. That crash was reported at the 31.5-mile marker, and state police said a Hyundai Elantra had crossed from the southbound lanes into the northbound lanes before striking a Toyota Corolla. Two people in that crash were taken to West Virginia trauma centers in critical condition, while two others transported to local hospitals were later listed in stable condition, and all lanes reopened about four hours later.
A separate, fatal crash also struck the southbound lanes of I-79 in Amwell Township at about 6:05 a.m., according to WTAE. The Washington County coroner said 54-year-old Timothy Hardin of Jefferson died after his car crossed the median, entered oncoming traffic, and was struck by a tractor-trailer. Hardin was pronounced dead at Washington Hospital at 7:45 a.m., with the cause of death pending autopsy, while southbound traffic was detoured at Exit 30 as responders worked the scene. State police were investigating that crash, the station reported.
No information connects these earlier incidents to Thursday night's crash, and the evidence does not establish a broader pattern along this corridor. Updates on the condition of the two people injured Thursday, along with any findings from Pennsylvania State Police, were not available at the time of the report.
