Frozen jam

last updated 8 January 2015

Lenhartsville, Pa.

An icy storm stranded thousands of motorists for up to two days last week in a 50-mile-long traffic jam along one of Pennsylvania’s main highways. The massive backup along I-78, a major east-west route through Pennsylvania, started after 6 inches of snow fell in the central part of the state, followed by rain and sleet. The mixture froze on the road surface, causing dozens of cars to collide and tractor-trailers to jackknife. “It was really a perfect storm for bad driving conditions,” said a Pennsylvania Transportation Department spokesman. Residents along the highway used snowmobiles and four-wheel drive vehicles to bring food and water to trapped motorists. Gov. Edward Rendell said the state’s response to the storm was “unacceptable,” and promised an investigation.