A 9-year-old girl was among the five people killed in a crash on the Pennsylvania Turnpike that also injured at least 60 people, authorities said Monday.
Meanwhile, authorities continue to investigate the cause of the crash that happened early Sunday on a mountainous and rural stretch of the highway about 30 miles east of Pittsburgh.
A loaded bus lost control on a hill along the highway, setting off a chain reaction that involved three tractor-trailers and a passenger car. The crash shut down the Pennsylvania Turnpike, which is also Interstate 76, for a 90-mile stretch for most of the day Sunday.
All five victims have been identified by police. The victims include the 58-year-old bus driver, Shuang Qing Feng, of Flushing, and two passengers, Eileen Zelis Aria, 35, of the Bronx, and 9-year-old Jaremy Vazquez, of Brooklyn, according to the Westmoreland County Coroner's Office.
Two UPS drivers, Daniel Kepner, 53, and Dennis Kehler, 48, were also killed in the crash. They were driving together in a tractor-trailer out of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
At least 60 people were transported to local hospitals with a range of injuries. Authorities said Sunday all of the patients were expected to survive.
The cause of the crash is still unknown, and Pennsylvania State Police spokesman Stephen Limani said it could take weeks or months to determine. A team from the National Transportation Safety Board also is investigating.
Pennsylvania Turnpike spokesman Carl DeFebo said the tour bus flipped on its side Sunday.
Road conditions reportedly were treacherous when the crash happened.
DeFebo said a coroner confirmed five fatalities at the scene.
Twenty-five victims, ranging in age from 7 to 52 years old, were transported to Excela Frick Hospital in Mt. Pleasant, Excela Health spokeswoman Robin Jennings said. Nine of those patients are under 18.
At least one of the 25 victims initially sent to Excela was transported to a nearby trauma center, Jennings said.
The National Weather Service forecast for Westmoreland County early Sunday listed light unknown precipitation and an air temperature just below freezing. DeFebo said it was “premature” to say if weather was a factor in the crash.
Another multi-vehicle crash was reported later Sunday a few miles from the major crash on the turnpike, according to KDKA. The crash on Interstate 70 near Smithton in Westmoreland County reportedly involved two tractor-trailers, a pickup and a sedan.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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