Six people — including a Schuylkill County driver who was seriously injured — were taken by ambulances to Reading and Lehigh Valley hospitals after an 11-vehicle pileup on Interstate 78 in northeastern Berks County during Saturday morning’s snowstorm.
The crash in Greenwich Township shortly before 8 a.m. was triggered by a tractor-trailer sliding into the median barrier, state police at Hamburg said Monday. Traffic was detoured onto Old Route 22 until late afternoon.
The wreckage of a 12-vehicle crash is seen Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, on a snow-covered Interstate 78 in Greenwich Township, Berks County. Eight passenger vehicles and four tractor-trailers were involved, state police said, with some of the vehicles pinned in by the tractor-trailers. The pileup shut down I-78 for hours. (Courtesy Union Fire Company No.1 of Hamburg)
The wreckage of an 11-vehicle crash is seen Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, on a snow-covered Interstate 78 in Greenwich Township, Berks County, that shut down the westbound lanes for hours. (Courtesy Union Fire Company No.1 of Hamburg)
Four tractor-trailers were involved in an 11-vehicle pileup on snow-covered Interstate 78 in Greenwich Township, Berks County, that shut down the westbound lanes for hours Saturday. (Courtesy Union Fire Company No.1 of Hamburg)
The wreckage of a 12-vehicle crash is seen Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, on a snow-covered Interstate 78 in Greenwich Township, Berks County. Eight passenger vehicles and four tractor-trailers were involved, state police said, with some of the vehicles pinned in by the tractor-trailers. The pileup shut down I-78 for hours. (Courtesy Union Fire Company No.1 of Hamburg)
The wreckage of a 12-vehicle crash is seen Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, on a snow-covered Interstate 78 in Greenwich Township, Berks County. Eight passenger vehicles and four tractor-trailers were involved, state police said, with some of the vehicles pinned in by the tractor-trailers. The pileup shut down I-78 for hours. (Courtesy Union Fire Company No.1 of Hamburg)
The wreckage of an 11-vehicle crash is seen Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, on a snow-covered Interstate 78 in Greenwich Township, Berks County, that shut down the westbound lanes for hours. (Courtesy Union Fire Company No.1 of Hamburg)
The wreckage of a 12-vehicle crash is seen Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, on a snow-covered Interstate 78 in Greenwich Township, Berks County. Eight passenger vehicles and four tractor-trailers were involved, state police said, with some of the vehicles pinned in by the tractor-trailers. The pileup shut down I-78 for hours. (Courtesy Union Fire Company No.1 of Hamburg)
The wreckage of a 12-vehicle crash is seen Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, on a snow-covered Interstate 78 in Greenwich Township, Berks County. Eight passenger vehicles and four tractor-trailers were involved, state police said, with some of the vehicles pinned in by the tractor-trailers. The pileup shut down I-78 for hours. (Courtesy Union Fire Company No.1 of Hamburg)
The wreckage of a 12-vehicle crash is seen Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, on a snow-covered Interstate 78 in Greenwich Township, Berks County. Eight passenger vehicles and four tractor-trailers were involved, state police said, with some of the vehicles pinned in by the tractor-trailers. The pileup shut down I-78 for hours. (Courtesy Union Fire Company No.1 of Hamburg)
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The wreckage of a 12-vehicle crash is seen Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, on a snow-covered Interstate 78 in Greenwich Township, Berks County. Eight passenger vehicles and four tractor-trailers were involved, state police said, with some of the vehicles pinned in by the tractor-trailers. The pileup shut down I-78 for hours. (Courtesy Union Fire Company No.1 of Hamburg)
One serious injury was reported — a driver from southern Schuylkill County. The other patients, including those evaluated by medics at the scene but who did not need hospital treatment, had suspected minor injuries.
Troopers from Hamburg gave the following account:
An 18-wheeler driven by Abdukadir A. Ibrahim, 37, of Syracuse, N.Y., was traveling westbound too fast for conditions and lost control, hitting the median barrier. Ibrahim wasn’t injured.
His rig was struck by a subcompact SUV driven by Kursat Ilgun, 43, of Orwigsburg, Schuylkill County.
The wreckage of an 11-vehicle crash is seen Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, on a snow-covered Interstate 78 in Greenwich Township, Berks County, that shut down the westbound lanes for hours. (Courtesy Union Fire Company No.1 of Hamburg)
Nine more vehicles, including three tractor-trailers, crashed into the jackknifed rig.
Ilgun was taken by Life Lion to Reading Hospital for what was described as a serious injury.
Among those transported by ambulance were five Northampton County residents.
Lori Apostol, 50, the driver of a car that was the sixth to collide with the rig, and her passengers, Jamie Bickert, 52, and Julia Apostol, 19, all of Pen Argyl, were taken by Hamburg EMS to Lehigh Valley Hospital.
Paul A. Cressman, 71, and his passenger, Suzanne M. Cressman, 65, of Bethlehem, were also taken by a Hamburg EMS unit to Lehigh Valley Hospital.
Ten of the 11 vehicles were towed, keeping towing companies busy through most of the day. Both lanes reopened shortly before 5 p.m.
Also assisting troopers at the scene were personnel from the Fleetwood, Kempton and Kutztown fire companies, and Centronia EMS based in Schuylkill County.
Troopers said the truck driver who triggered the crash faces a number of citations that will be filed in district court.