DUBOIS, Pa. - A late-night collision between two commercial tractor-trailers forced an hours-long shutdown and detour along Interstate 80 Westbound in Clearfield County late Monday evening.
According to troopers with the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) DuBois barracks, the crash occurred at approximately 11:41 p.m. near mile marker 98.8.
Investigators report that 39-year-old Romanov Myrthil of West Palm Beach, Florida, was operating a 2022 Freightliner Cascadia westbound in the left lane. Myrthil had activated his hazard lights and was bringing the rig to a complete stop due to traffic conditions.
Approaching from behind in the same lane, 48-year-old Jonathan Dorcelly of Montebello, New York, was driving a 2024 Kenworth Northwest. Police noted that Dorcelly attempted to slow down but was traveling too fast to bring his semi-truck to a stop in time.
In an attempt to avoid a direct rear-end collision, Dorcelly swerved into the open right lane. During the evasive maneuver, the driver’s side middle section of Dorcelly’s trailer sideswiped the rear passenger side of Myrthil’s trailer.
The force of the impact ripped open the driver’s side wall of Dorcelly’s trailer, spilling cargo across the travel lanes. Dorcelly’s rig continued moving west before coming to rest on the north shoulder.
Both drivers were wearing their seat belts at the time of the crash and reported no injuries.
The collision and subsequent cleanup required a complete closure and detour of I-80 Westbound for over six hours, with all lanes finally reopening at 5:56 a.m. Tuesday.
State police were assisted at the scene by the North Point Fire Department, PennDOT, and Bricen Towing. Troopers issued Dorcelly a traffic citation for following too closely.
