Freight Truck Plows Through PennDOT Work Zone

A single vehicle crash on I-95 in Bensalem Township the morning after Christmas had the most dangerous elements, of what PennDOT work crews fear, come to fruition last week as a freightliner truck plowed through an active work zone.

According to Pennsylvania State Police, the crash occurred at 4:40 a.m. on December 26 when the truck in the far right lane failed to change lanes and slammed into a PennDOT work truck. It stopped on the right shoulder at mile marker 35.7 on the southbound side of the interstate. The PennDOT vehicle, after being struck, stopped in the right lane blocking traffic, state police said.

There were 1,216 work zone crashes, leading to 22 fatalities statewide. according to PennDOT data

Since 1970, a total of 91 PennDOT personnel have lost their lives in the line of duty. In the Philadelphia region, 309 work zone crashes in 2023 resulted in three fatalities and 11 suspected serious injuries. Distracted and aggressive driving are the main factors in work zone crashes.

State law requires drivers to slow down, turn on their headlights, and obey all posted speed limits and traffic patterns when driving through work zones.

No one was injured, Troopers noted in their reports and no charges, as of publication time, have been filed according to online court records.

State law requires drivers to slow down, turn on their headlights, and obey all posted speed limits and traffic patterns when driving through work zones