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BEAR CREEK TWP. — Two people are dead after a motorist lost control of an SUV on the Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension on Tuesday afternoon and rolled the vehicle over, state police said.
The names of the deceased, together with those of two injured occupants, have not yet been released pending notification of next of kin, troopers said Tuesday night.
Emergency crews extracted the injured pair and transported them to Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center in Plains Township.
The 2002 Chevrolet Trailblazer, which was seen to have New Jersey license plates, was traveling south in the left lane near mile marker 106 at 3:20 p.m. when the driver lost control, troopers said. Its left front corner struck the center concrete barrier, veered back across the southbound lanes and onto the berm of the highway.
The vehicle then struck a guard rail and a rockfall fence, rolled onto its left side and finally came to rest on its roof.
No other vehicles were involved in the wreck.
An initial call came in to Luzerne County 911 dispatchers reporting multiple passengers trapped and serious injuries, possibly a decapitation.
Two occupants were pronounced dead at the scene, troopers said.
State police responded to the scene, together with emergency responders from several Luzerne County communities, including the Kingston and Dupont fire departments and a Plains Township ambulance crew. The Luzerne County Coroner’s Office also responded.
The crash occurred a short distance north of the Bear Creek interchange on the highway, also known as Interstate 476. Traffic was temporarily restricted due to the rescue and investigation efforts.
Lispi’s Towing removed the damaged vehicle from the scene. There was no further information about the crash or investigation late Tuesday.
