Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania. – Five New York women, believed to be from the same family, were struck and killed by a tractor-trailer on Tuesday after getting out of their cars on Interstate 81 in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania.
According to Pennsylvania State Police, the crash occurred near mile marker 199.3 in Scott Township, north of Scranton, around 5:15 p.m.
According to state police, a 2022 Honda Odyssey with a female driver and three female passengers lost control and struck the median, leaving the vehicle stuck in the left lane.
An Audi A6 carrying two relatives of Odyssey passengers immediately stopped on the right shoulder of the road. According to state police, the two occupants of the Audi crossed both lanes of traffic to communicate with the occupants of the Odyssey, who were standing in the left lane.
That's when state police said a northbound tractor-trailer struck the driver's side of the Odyssey.
The investigation revealed that four pedestrians were hit, three of whom died.
Additionally, two people still inside the Odyssey at the time of the collision were killed.
Pennsylvania State Police identified the victims as:
- Herbalist Zebari, 42, of Endwell, New York
- Fatma Ahmed (71 years old, resident of Binghamton, New York)
- Shajinaz Missouri, 56, lives in Vestal, New York.
- Eileen Ameen, 19, of Johnson City, New York
- Beriban Zebara, 43, of Johnson City, New York
The driver of the Audi, identified as Parjan Ameen, 22, of Johnson City, sustained moderate injuries.
The driver of the tractor-trailer also sustained minor injuries.
Lackawanna County Coroner Timothy Rowland told WOLF FOX 56 the victims are believed to be from the same family.
A round of winter weather hit the Northeast, including Pennsylvania, on Tuesday, impacting travel. On Tuesday, many major cities along I-95, including Philadelphia, broke consecutive snow-free records.
Several inches of snow fell in Lackawanna County during Tuesday's storm, according to the National Weather Service office in Binghamton, New York.
Snow totals ranged from about 2.4 inches near Archibald to 4.5 inches in Moscow.
