Coroner Identifies 3 Killed In Crash That Shut Down Pa. Highway

CARLISLE, Pa. (AP) - A coroner is identifying three people who died in a crash that shut down Interstate 81 for more than eight hours in central Pennsylvania.

Pennlive.com reported Thursday the victims were 42-year-old Michael Smatlak, of York, Pennsylvania, 61-year-old Terry Danner, of West Fairview, Pennsylvania, and 45-year-old James Hawkins Jr., of Bartlett, Tennessee.

Cumberland County Coroner Charley Hall says the Wednesday crash occurred near the Carlisle exits when Smatlak's southbound dump truck crossed the median strip and struck a tractor-trailer driven by Hawkins. Danner's pickup truck hit the other two vehicles.

Join The Conversation On The KDKA Facebook Page
Stay Up To Date, Follow KDKA On Twitter

State police say a tire had ruptured on the dump truck.

Hawkins was pronounced dead at the scene, while Smatlak and Danner died after being flown to a nearby hospital.

(Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)