Human Interest 3 People Dead, at Least 24 Injured After Mass Pileup in Pennsylvania During Snow Squall The snow squall led to clouded visibility on Interstate 81 before the pileup, officials said By Stephanie Wenger Stephanie Wenger Instagram Twitter Stephanie Wenger is a TV Writer/Reporter at PEOPLE. She joined the brand in 2021 as digital news writer, spanning across the site's verticals. She previously contributed to E! Online, HollywoodLife, Discover Los Angeles, Oscar.com and Hollywood.com. She appeared on air at AfterBuzz TV. She began her journalism career as an intern at Good Morning America and Access Hollywood. She graduated from Boston University with a Bachelor's in communications and received a Master's in journalism from the University of Southern California. People Editorial Guidelines Updated on March 29, 2022 10:49 AM Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Courtesy Skook News At least three people died and many more were injured after a mass pileup took place during a snow squall in Pennsylvania on Monday, according to local officials. The snow squall led to clouded visibility before the accident on Interstate 81 in Northeast Pennsylvania on Monday morning, officials told the Associated Press, The New York Times, NBC News and local outlet Skook News. "The road conditions when the squall came through contributed to the accident," John Blickley, a spokesman for the office, told the Times. John Mika of the Schuylkill County Coroner's Office, which did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment, told NBC News and CNN that three people died following the crash. According to a statement from the Schuylkill County Office of Emergency Management, around 40 vehicles were involved in the incident in the northbound lanes and 24 people were taken to the hospital. Their conditions were not immediately known. Courtesy Skook News Over 70 Vehicles Involved in Massive Pile-Up on Snowy Pennsylvania Interstate Following Flash Freeze Officials initially closed the freeway but have since reopened southbound lanes. More than 50 "travelers were taken via Transit Authority buses to a reception center at a local fire station where the American Red Cross, County Emergency Management, and Pennsylvania State Police are working on family reunification," a spokesperson for the Schuylkill County Office of Emergency Management said in the statement. Florida Man, 59, Killed in Car Crash After Colliding with 11-Foot Alligator in Roadway The Pennsylvania State Police — which is handling the investigation — said in a crash report that there were "numerous vehicles" on fire. Courtesy Skook News Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free weekly newsletter to get the biggest news of the week delivered to your inbox every Friday. One driver captured a clip of the chain reaction of the crash, showing tractor-trailers and cars skidding off the road. Courtesy Skook News Pa. Woman, 21, Charged in Fatal Car Crash That Killed 2 State Troopers and Pedestrian The pileup caused traffic to stop on the freeway, making the emergency response more difficult, according to the Times. Monday's multi-car collision is the second pileup in Schuylkill County in just over a month, according to the outlet. On Feb. 19, five people were injured in a similar incident near McAdoo.