A truck driver was tragically killed in a multi semi truck pile-up on Wednesday morning. It happened around 9 a.m. on Interstate 81 near Exit 3 in Binghamton, New York.
According to Binghampton Homepage, it began when a semi truck stalled while traveling up Hospital Hill. This sparked a chain reaction in which a second semi rear-ended the first, and a third semi crashed into the second.
The three semi trucks then caught on fire.
The second semi truck was hauling recycled paper and quickly burst into flames. That driver was killed at the scene.
Witnesses captured this footage at the scene of the crash.
The scene pic.twitter.com/qzPr8h8zLx
— Mike Tanzini (@MikeNC34) September 14, 2016
Tires exploded and debris scattered across the northbound lane.
Binghamton Assistant Fire Chief Mark Whalen explained that a truck driver’s quick thinking helped to minimize damage.
The Chief explained, “After he [the first truck driver] was rear-ended he had the presence of mind to pull his truck up the road about 50 yards and on the shoulder and disconnect the trailer from the tractor.”
The crash shut down I-81 for hours while crews attended to the situation. Motorists were detoured out of the area.
The deceased driver’s identity has not been released. No other fatalities were reported. The incident remains under investigation.