One person dead following vehicle crash on Pennsylvania interstate

PENNSYLVANIA — A 33-year-old Harrisburg man was killed late Monday night in a crash involving a tractor-trailer on Interstate 81, according to Pennsylvania State Police.

The crash occurred at 10:58 p.m. in the northbound lanes near Exit 69 to Progress Avenue in Susquehanna Township.

Troopers said a work zone was active in the area, resulting in lane closures and significant traffic backups. Two police vehicles with activated emergency lights were present to enforce traffic control.

According to investigators, Dashon Banks was driving a Ford Fusion north on I-81 when he failed to slow down and crashed into the rear of a stopped Navistar 940 tractor-trailer.

The truck had come to a complete stop due to the traffic backlog. No other vehicles were involved.

Banks was pronounced dead at the scene by the Dauphin County Coroner. The driver of the tractor-trailer was not injured.

State Police said preliminary evidence suggests Banks may have been under the influence of cannabis at the time of the crash. Toxicology results are pending, and the investigation remains ongoing.