Marilyn Massey Killed in Crash with Parked 18-Wheeler on I-81 in Franklin County, PA
Guilford Township, PA — December 7, 2022, 61-year-old Marilyn Massey died in a collision with a parked tractor-trailer on Interstate 81 in Franklin County.
Authorities say the incident happened around 1:15 p.m. on I-81 near mile marker 14.5 in Guilford Township. Preliminary investigation suggests Massey was a passenger in a Toyota RAV4 traveling along the interstate when the driver took the off-ramp at marker 14.5. The SUV reportedly traveled over the fog line onto the ramp's west shoulder and hit a parked tractor-trailer, after which it slid south on the ramp before coming to rest back on the shoulder.
Massey, a front passenger in the Toyota, was pronounced dead at the scene. The SUV's driver was transported to an area hospital. No other injuries were reported.
No further information is available at this time.
Commentary on Marilyn Massey Accident in Franklin County
It's obviously concerning to see any vehicle hit another one on the shoulder, but these situations aren't always as clear-cut as people might think. The investigation may largely focus on why and how the SUV ran off the road, but there are other important details to learn as well. For instance, investigators must find out if the truck on the shoulder was parked legally.
Truck drivers are required to follow specific federal guidelines when stopping on or by the interstate. Failing to follow those rules can have deadly consequences, yet many commercial drivers regularly roll those dice when they need rest or lunch breaks and don't want to seek out safer places to stop.
Obviously more thorough investigations are still needed to say what happened here, but it's important to realize that few accidents--perhaps least of all those with commercial vehicles--are really as simple as a few sentences in the news make them sound. Folks should learn about their possible factors and refrain from jumping to any conclusions before facts and evidence can tell the whole story.
