2 dead in 18-vehicle pileup on Pa. highway

CLARION, Pa. (AP) — A western Pennsylvania motorist and a Kentucky trucker were identified as those who died in an 18-vehicle crash caused by a snow squall that left drivers with little visibility on Interstate 80, authorities said Thursday.

The chain reaction pileup happened Wednesday afternoon in whiteout conditions in Clarion Township, about 60 miles from the Ohio border.

Timothy Floravit, 35, of Beaver Falls, died of chest and stomach injuries from hitting the steering column of his vehicle, which crashed with his wife and children also inside, Clarion County Coroner Terry Shaffer told The Associated Press today.

The other man killed was Leonard Mink, 67, of Nancy, Ky., who was struck by another vehicle when he got out of his rig to help other motorists. It wasn't immediately clear if Mink's vehicle was among those involved in the crash, or whether he had been able to stop safely before he was killed.

Nine trucks, several of them tractor-trailers, and nine cars were involved in the crash in the highway's westbound lanes, state police said. At least one of the trucks was carrying hazardous material, but no leaks were found, a county official said.

"It was carnage," Shaffer said. "[There was] metal everywhere. There were busted axles, trucks totaled. One tanker truck didn't have any wheels on it."