Parkway North inbound fully reopens after deadly chain-reaction crash

PITTSBURGH — One person is dead after five vehicles were involved in a chain-reaction crash Tuesday morning in a construction zone on the Parkway North.

A tri-axle truck overturned and went through a guiderail and partially over a hillside when it was involved in the initial crash into a barrier about 5:30 a.m., police said. Additional accidents followed.

The driver of the tri-axle truck, 64-year-old Bryant Beiter, of Munhall, was killed, officials said. Three other people were taken to hospitals with minor injuries and were treated and released.

Police said it is not clear how the initial crash happened, but it appears the tri-axle overturned after the driver lost control. Its load of slag dust spilled onto the roadway.

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The slag dust caused a loss of visibility and another vehicle sideswiped the truck, police said. That vehicle pulled into an emergency pull off area.

Meanwhile, a third vehicle was struck from behind by a fourth vehicle, police said. A fifth vehicle then struck the back of the truck.

Southbound Interstate 279 reopened to traffic Tuesday evening, with a single-lane restriction between the Bellevue/West View and Perrysville Avenue exits. PennDOT crews fixed the guiderail overnight and the highway fully reopened early Wednesday morning.

Cox Media Group