Liberty Tunnel reopens after 9-vehicle crash that left 7 people injured

PITTSBURGH — Seven people were injured in a nine-vehicle crash that shut down the Liberty Tunnel in both directions on Thursday evening.

CLICK HERE FOR A LOOK AT THE SCENE

One person is in critical condition and the other six people are stable, Pittsburgh Public Safety said.

Crews worked to remove more than 30 vehicles still in the Liberty Tunnel.

Just before 9 p.m., police said all of the vehicles had been removed.

A Pittsburgh police spokesperson said they are investigating the possibility of a medical emergency as the cause of the crash.

The tunnel reopened in both directions just after 10 p.m.

The chaotic aftermath caused headaches for drivers stuck in the tunnels for around two hours.

“It was brutal,” said Tommy and Charles, a pair of guys in one car who spoke with Channel 11. “It was horrible. It was horrible.”

“Yeah, it was a very long wait,” said Anthony, another driver.

Leon Harrison was stuck on the inbound side. He was grateful he didn’t get caught up in the massive wreck.

“From where I am in the tunnel, if I would’ve left basketball practice maybe five minutes earlier, God only knows where I would’ve been during the time of the car crash,” Harrison said.

He spoke to Channel 11 while still sitting in his car, stuck in the tunnel.

“We saw a Pittsburgh police officer drive through, make his way through and then from there we’ve been sitting in the same spot this entire time,” Harrison said.

Eventually, first responders were able to turn around all the cars stuck on the inbound side and guide them out of the Liberty Tunnel, back the way they came.

Before that, Harrison says drivers were getting out of their cars and walking around just trying to pass the time until they could leave.

“It seems like everybody’s about to have a tailgate party right now in the tunnel. I think we know we’re not going to be moving for a while, so everybody’s out of their cars right now,” Harrison said.

The cause of the initial crash is still under investigation by Pittsburgh police.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW

©2023 Cox Media Group