HIGHRIDGE - Two people were injured in a fiery crash in the northbound lanes of I-81 on Wednesday morning.
The crash occurred about 10:35 a.m. at mile marker 116.9 in Butler Township and completely closed the northbound lanes of the road for about 45 minutes.
The driver of the car, a Chrysler Sebring, was identified as Lester Wagner, 75, of Fredericksburg, Va. He was trapped inside his vehicle for a short time and removed by Frackville firefighters.
Wagner was then treated by Minersville EMS and West Schuylkill ALS and flown to Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, in the Life Flight helicopter.
Since both northbound lanes were closed, the medical helicopter landed on the interstate between the car and a tractor-trailer.
The driver of the truck, a 2007 Freightliner, was identified as Anthony Goines, 39, of Max Meadows, Va. He was taken to Schuylkill Medical Center-South Jackson Street by ambulance for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
State police Trooper Joseph Aponick said the crash occurred when Wagner was pulled over onto the east berm of the road.
Goines was driving his rig north and went over the white fog line and struck the car that was stopped.
After hitting the car, Aponick said the tractor-trailer continued north for about two tenths of a mile and came to rest against the guiderails off of the east berm of the road.
The tractor portion of Goines' vehicle caught fire and was completely destroyed. The trailer and its contents, large rolls of paper, escaped the flames but sustained smoke damage.
Firefighters from Altamont, Englewood, Lavelle and Fountain Springs extinguished the truck fire while Yorkville Rescue firefighters from Pottsville managed the landing zone for the helicopter.
State police at Frackville are investigating the crash and were assisted at the scene by troopers from the Schuylkill Haven station.
Aponick said his investigation into the crash is continuing.