1 Dead After Fiery Crash on I-80 in Centre County

Updated 12:16 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026.

One person is dead after a seven-vehicle crash that closed part of Interstate 80 in Centre County on Tuesday afternoon, according to a public information release from state police at Rockview.

The person killed, whose identity has not been released, was fatally injured when their vehicle “exploded and became fully engulfed” after striking multiple other vehicles, police wrote.

The crash happened at about 3:30 p.m. on I-80 eastbound near mile marker 163 in Marion Township, where traffic was slowed due to backlog from the merge point for the long-term construction zone at mile 164.8, according to the release.

The driver of a vehicle described as unit 1 struck another vehicle, causing a chain reaction crash that resulted in three catching fire and others sustaining damage. Unit 1 caught fire and its driver died after striking the seventh and final vehicle involved, police wrote.

Centre County dispatch reported that the crash involved passenger and commercial vehicles, including at least one tractor-trailer that was on fire. Photos from WTAJ and WJAC showed a smoking, destroyed tractor-trailer. Police did not immediately describe the vehicles involved.

Police also did not disclose other injuries in Tuesday night’s release. A LifeFlight helicopter landed near the crash site, according to dispatch reports.

State police and multiple fire and EMS companies from Centre and Clinton counties were dispatched to the scene.

I-80 eastbound remained closed between exit 158 at Milesburg and exit 178 at Lock Haven as of 12:15 a.m. on Wednesday. PennDOT’s 511PA website projected the road to reopen at 3 p.m. on Wednesday.

PennDOT will repair damage to the road from the fire beginning early Wednesday morning, according to a department spokesperson. Work is expected to take until early afternoon to complete.

While the road is closed, traffic will be directed off I-80 at two locations: exit 123/Woodland to follow Route 322 and exit 158/Milesburg to follow Route 220 to 144/150.

Message boards display detour information.

“PennDOT apologizes for the inconvenience and urges drivers to exercise caution, obey posted speed limits and always buckle up,” the spokesperson wrote.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.