Several accidents occurred in Newtown on Interstate 84 on Monday, April 14, resulting in extensive traffic backups on I-84’s westbound and eastbound lanes, causing motorists to seek alternate routes on local roads, thus creating traffic congestion on those streets. The first accident was reported at 12:42, and involved two vehicles that had been traveling on I-84 East. Both drivers of those vehicles were checked at the scene, and one was transported to the hospital for their injuries. The second accident occurred minutes later, when a Peterbilt tractor that had been traveling on I-84 West veered off the roadway, reportedly to avoid striking another vehicle, and landed on the highway's median, balance on a rock. The driver was uninjured. The need to remove diesel fuel from the truck's tanks before it could be uprighted kept firefighters and DEEP officials on scene for hours, however, which led to the extensive travel delays that afternoon. [read more]