I-80 reopens after 20 car pileup during snow squall

Fast-moving snow squalls and lake effect snow bands sparked dozens of crashes across West Central Pennsylvania on Monday.

Jefferson County Emergency Management Director Tracy Zents told 6News that 17 people were injured and that at least 20 cars and tractor-trailers were involved in a chain-reaction crash on Interstate 80 eastbound near Falls Creek around 2:30 p.m.

"If you don't have to travel, please don't. A lot of emergency services workers were really taxed hard up here today. A lot of people that was entrapped in their vehicles,” said Zents. “We just want everyone to be safe.”

Zents said a tanker carrying liquid nitrogen collided with at least two cars in the pileup, but there was no structural rupture that threatened the hazardous contents.

"We've been monitoring it since the accident occurred. So far, everything is good to go with it. We just have to use some precautions when we go to move it to make sure that load stays stable,” said Zents.

Tractor-trailer driver Ronaldo Panalagin said he was stunned to see so many drivers passing his big rig as conditions deteriorated, minutes before the crash that happened a quarter of a mile ahead of him.

"If I had been keeping up with the traffic I probably would have ended up with these guys here. Everybody was just passing me,” said Panalagin. “I'm glad I did what I did."

State police at DuBois said several of the crash victims were in serious condition but there were no fatalities reported.

"Definitely there was an angel watching out for them,” Panalagin said.

Officials said the eastbound lanes of Interstate 80 near Falls Creek reopened around 11 p.m.

6News viewers said several family pets in vehicles involved in the wreck are missing.

Anyone with information on a Husky, Pitbull mix can call 814-715-3961.

Anyone who found a medium size Border Collie with red tags and a small back lab can call 607-592-8751.