Flash-freezing causes at least four road deaths in Northeast

 By 
Colin Daileda
 on 
Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Many roads across the Northeastern United States turned into black strips of ice on Sunday, causing traffic problems, flight delays and crashes that killed at least four.

Dozens of cars smashed into each other on an interstate west of Philadelphia, killing at least one, and a similar pile-up left at least two dead on another highway close by. Another person died on the road in Connecticut, also reportedly due to hazardous wintry weather that has caused hundreds of car collisions throughout the region.

The ice shut down all bridges connecting Philadelphia to New Jersey and caused flight delays at Philadelphia International Airport as well as John F. Kennedy Airport in New York. Bradley International Airport in Connecticut was even closed for a short time.

#BREAKING: 60+ vehicles involved in massive pileup on I-76 due to icy conditions --> http://t.co/chjSPmgdtJ pic.twitter.com/UbArNHPKG0— NBC10 Philadelphia (@NBCPhiladelphia) January 18, 2015

Two cars & trailer in crash where black ice was to blame on Abbottstown Pike, two extricated by Station33 FF's. pic.twitter.com/DcSWk4yYLr— Steve Roth (@911Photography) January 18, 2015

Residents had to deal with black ice in northern states such as New Jersey and New York, too.

OK, so this was my morning. Black ice sliding backwards down a steep hill w/parking break on! pic.twitter.com/Fz1GxVdHKw— Jennifer Lincoln (@jenniferlincoln) January 18, 2015

#NYPD helping pedestrians to cross. #BlackIce @NY1 @NYPDnews it's really bad out there pic.twitter.com/FxfDJ5XI8C— Joel (@LetLoveRul3) January 18, 2015

Conditions have reportedly improved throughout the day, as warmer temperatures thawed the icy roads.

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