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Sean A. Laudenslager, 41, of Dalmatia was driving his 2018 Ford Focus in the left lane of I-83 Southbound at mile marker 49 in Lower Paxton Township when he struck the rear of a tractor-trailer on Oct. 17, according to the Pennsylvania State Police.
Randall S. Yother, 64, of Tyrone had stopped his 2020 Freightliner Cascadia due to a backlog of traffic from two earlier crashes, PSP explained.
The first crash happened on I-83 Southbound at Exit 47: US 322 East - Derry Street shortly before 7 a.m., the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation spokesperson Fritzi Schreffler told Daily Voice.
"A disabled vehicle in the left lane at mm 46.5 that was hit by a (tractor-trailer) and several other vehicles," she said. The tractor trailed "was carrying cooking oil and that has now broken open and is leaking oil. Some has gone down the storm drains, but it has gone as far down as the 283 split."
A street sweeper later came to the interstate to clear the sandy, oil, and dirt mixture as part of the tractor-trailer cooking oil spill. According to Schreffler, the area was expected to remain closed for several hours for clean-up and vehicle removal.
The second crash was at mile marker 48.7. It involved two passenger vehicles. Schreffler explained that injuries were reported, "but do not appear to be major." This crash happened shortly after the first crash.
The crash that led to Sean Laudenslager's death happened at 9:04 a.m., according to the Pennsylvania State Police.
Sean had worked for the PA Turnpike Commission for nearly six years and was an End User Support Supervisor, according to his LinkedIn.
Sean was a dad who liked the Harrisburg Senators, Star Wars, and spending time with his family, according to his social media.
His death is "So tragic…so shocking," Carl DeFebo, PA Turpike Director of Public Relations & Marketing told Daily Voice.
The left two lanes of I-83 South remained closed through Exit 45: Paxton Street/Bass Pro Drive in Harrisburg until 5:40 p.m.
Sean is survived by his wife Dana and their two sons, according to a GoFundMe launched by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission IT department. Click here to donate and help support Sean's family during this difficult time.
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