Interstate 84 in Pennsylvania

Interstate 84 is Pennsylvania’s connection to New England. It states this several times on signs on Interstate 81 to remind commercial vehicle drivers that the highway connects to the western end of Interstate 84 near the Scranton metropolitan area.

Travelers navigating Interstate 81 north will have the option to merge into I-84, which proceeds east about 54 miles through Lackawanna, Wayne and Pike counties. The highway crosses the Delaware River at Port Jervis into New York State. There are not a whole lot of populated areas along the Pennsylvania part of the highway other than turnoffs for Lake Wallenpaupack and Interstate 380 that leads to Pocono resorts.

However, people traveling to the upper New York City suburban counties and to Connecticut and Massachusetts rely on Interstate 84 for a more efficient trip. The highway continues into the Boston metro area where it merges with Interstate 95.

The law firm of O’Connor Law has an office at the western end of Interstate 84 having a branch office in the city of Scranton. Despite being a short route in Pennsylvania, the highway does see its share of automobile, motorcycle, SUV and tractor trailer accidents. This is especially true in the Scranton area where the major highways experience gridlock and construction almost every day.

In June of 2011, five people were sent to the hospital with injuries, three cars were destroyed and a tractor-trailer damaged in a crash that backed up traffic on Interstate 84 and in the Milford area for several hours.

The crash, involving a tractor-trailer and three cars, occurred about 2:30 P.M. in the eastbound lanes, between the Milford and Matamoras exits. Four people were flown to area hospitals with serious injuries, and one person was taken by ambulance to Bon Secours Hospital in Port Jervis, N.Y., according to Westfall Assistant Fire Chief Fred Jacobs. The crash left debris scattered across the highway, and I-84 eastbound between Milford and Matamoras was shut down for more than two hours. Traffic was also backed up off of I-84 going into Milford as motorists sought an alternate route.

Emergency responders had to use equipment to remove the cars' passengers when they arrived. Pennsylvania state police were on scene to investigate the cause of the crash.

Drivers from Pennsylvania and drivers from out of state are all too frequently the victims of accidents on I-84. Factors that might contribute to these accidents on this highway are the long drive, the lack of stops, and the perceived lack of police patrolling the sparsely populated areas of the highway. Due to these factors, many people tend to speed along on this highway, which can lead to dangerous situations in which drivers lose control.

The length of Interstate 84 in Pennsylvania runs 54 miles beginning as a split off Interstate 81 north near Scranton off Exit 187, to the extreme northeast part of the state before crossing into New York State at Pike County in Matamoras. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (Penn DOT) keeps records of accidents that occur on the road every year. The latest records that are available are from 2012. The statistics are broken down into several categories depending on the vehicle type and the type of accident.

In 2012, Passenger vehicles were involved in 159 total crashes on Interstate 84. The statistics include the following: 7 angle crashes; 0 head on; 72 hit fixed object; 1 hit pedestrian; 14 non-collision; 36 other/unknown; 24 rear end; 1 sideswipe (opposite direction); 4 sideswipe (same direction.)

In 2012, 2 motorcycles were involved in crashes on Interstate 84. The statistics include the following: 1 angle crash; 0 hit fixed object; 1 non-collision; 0 other/unknown; 0 rear end; 0 sideswipe (same direction.)

In 2012, there were 2 cases of legally intoxicated drivers arrested on Interstate 84. The statistics include the following: 0 angle crash; 0 head on; 1 hit fixed object; 0 non-collision; 1 rear end; 0 sideswipe (opposite direction); 0 sideswipe (same direction.)

In 2012, there were 29 crashed involving heavy trucks on Interstate 84. The statistics include the following; 3 angle crashes; 0 head on; 12 hit fixed object; 0 hit pedestrian; 2 non-collision; 1 other/unknown; 9 rear end; 0 rear to ear; 1 sideswipe (opposite direction) 1 sideswipe (same direction.)

In 2012, there were 11 cases of distracted drivers getting into crashes on Interstate 84. The statistics include; 0 angle crash; 4 hit fixed objects; 1 non-collision; 6 rear end; 0 sideswipe (same direction.)