Efrain Martinez-Vargas, Cortney Hurry Obituary, Death: One dead in I-80 pileup, another killed in backup crash.

Efrain Martinez-Vargas, Cortney Hurry Obituary, Death – Two separate crashes on Interstate 80 in Montour County, Pennsylvania, claimed the lives of two individuals on Friday. Authorities have identified the victims as 48-year-old Efrain Martinez-Vargas of Moosic and 22-year-old Cortney Hurry of Lewisburg.

According to Pennsylvania State Police, the first crash occurred around 2:40 a.m. near Danville due to dangerous road conditions caused by sudden snow squalls and black ice. A tractor-trailer lost control, sliding on the ice and colliding with a box truck. This initial impact triggered a massive chain reaction involving a total of 16 vehicles. Martinez-Vargas was fatally injured in the pileup, while two other individuals sustained serious injuries.

Emergency responders, including the Valley Township Volunteer Fire Department, arrived at the chaotic scene, which was littered with wrecked and burned vehicles. Photos from the crash site showed mangled debris, charred remains of cars, and the aftermath of the devastating collision.

As a result of the pileup, authorities implemented a detour at the Danville exit to manage traffic. However, as westbound vehicles were redirected, a second fatal crash occurred hours later at approximately 10:00 a.m. near mile marker 224, just west of the Buckhorn exit.

In the second crash, Hurry was driving when her car crashed into the rear of a flatbed tractor-trailer. She suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Doreen Clarke, the mother of a truck driver involved in the initial 16-vehicle crash, shared her son’s harrowing experience. “He told me there was ice on the road, and a driver behind him was speeding. That driver lost control and hit him, causing him to slide and crash into the vehicle in front of him. He barely managed to escape his truck before another oncoming truck forced him to jump over the guardrail to safety,” Clarke recounted.

The Pennsylvania State Police are continuing their investigation into both crashes to determine if additional factors contributed to the incidents. As of now, Interstate 80 westbound has been fully reopened.