Three men in an SUV were killed after running a red light and slamming into the side of a tractor trailer late last week.
It happened on Friday, July 7th at approximately 2 p.m. in Erie, Pennsylvania.
According to witnesses, the SUV was speeding and weaving through traffic on West 12th Street when it approached the Cherry Street traffic light. The SUV blew through the red light and slammed into the side of a tractor trailer traveling north through the intersection.
The SUV went completely underneath the tractor trailer and struck a Scion driving west on West 12th Street. The Scion spun out and came to a stop on the side of a building. The SUV skidded a few hundred yards before finally coming to a stop, GoErie.com reported.
The force of the impact severed the brake hoses on the semi truck, tore the roof off of the SUV and embedded it into the side of the trailer, nearly ripping the trailer in half.
Neither the truck driver nor the driver of the Scion were injured in the incident.
All three men in the SUV died on scene.
One man’s remains were found inside the SUV, while the two other men were ejected from the vehicle on impact, scattering their remains along the street.
Their injuries were so severe, that Coroner Lyell Cook compared the damage to what could be expected “from a plane crash.”
The three men, Oscar Johnson, 65, Charles Barnes, 65, and Willie M. Byrd 72, were friends and lived in the same building.
Erie police say that the SUV did not seem to slow down at all before striking the side of the tractor trailer.
Officials are still unsure which one of the men were behind the wheel at the time of the accident and why they failed to stop at the red light.