Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) Mansfield were dispatched at 10:35 p.m. on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, to a vehicle-versus-deer crash on Interstate 99 at mile marker 178.1 in Covington Township, Tioga County, according to the PSP crash report published by First News Now PA. While police were en route, Tioga County 911 reported a second crash at the same spot, and minutes later a third involving a tractor-trailer, with a fatality.
Source: Pennsylvania State Police crash report via First News Now PA
Police said the first vehicle, a 2016 Toyota Prius driven by Michah Roseblum, 59, of Towson, Maryland, struck a deer and became disabled in the roadway. A second vehicle operated by Michael Tyree then struck the disabled Prius, pushing it onto the east shoulder. The Prius was then struck by a Wegmans tractor-trailer. Police said it is believed Roseblum was ejected from the driver's window at that point and thrown to the west-side shoulder, where his head struck a guide rail post, causing fatal injuries. He was found deceased along the left shoulder of the northbound lane, and the coroner was requested to the scene.
The tractor-trailer, driven by Jeffery Russell, 63, of Oxford, New York, went through the guide rail on the east shoulder and down a 100-foot embankment, coming to rest on its driver's side, police said. Russell suffered only minor injuries and was released from the scene after being interviewed. First News Now PA reported the truck was carrying dairy and other grocery items and that both of its saddle tanks ruptured and leaked fuel after the crash. The driver of the second vehicle possibly suffered a broken wrist and was transported to UPMC Williamsport Hospital, the outlet reported.
Closure, detour and reopening
Fire personnel requested a full shutdown at about 11:55 p.m. after the crashes blocked both northbound lanes, and the highway was closed at about 11:59 p.m., First News Now PA reported. PennDOT advised that both lanes of I-99/Route 15 northbound were closed between Exit 172 (Blossburg) in Hamilton Township and Exit 179 (Route 660/Canoe Camp/Covington) in Richmond Township due to the multi-vehicle crash, with a detour using Route 2005 (Williamson Road/Cowen Road/Business 15), according to a PennDOT notice published by the Wellsboro/Mansfield Gazette.
Source: PennDOT via Tioga Publishing / Wellsboro-Mansfield Gazette
Blossburg fire units were cleared by 2:30 a.m., and Mansfield crews remained with state police and the coroner until the scene was turned over to PSP and PennDOT at 6:32 a.m., First News Now PA reported. A large section of guide rail was heavily damaged and will need to be replaced. On Thursday, October 22, PennDOT issued a lane restriction on I-99/Route 15 northbound at mile marker 178 in Richmond Township — the right lane restricted about one mile south of Exit 179 while crews continued recovery efforts from the crash — and the Gazette's later update reported the road open. All vehicles were to be towed from the scene by Bressler's Towing, police said.
Where: I-99/Route 15 northbound, mile marker 178.1, Covington Township, Tioga County. What happened: three separate crashes in sequence — deer strike, second vehicle strike, tractor-trailer strike. Closure: both northbound lanes, Exit 172 (Blossburg) to Exit 179 (Route 660/Canoe Camp), with a Route 2005 detour; the road has since reopened, with a right-lane restriction near mile marker 178 during recovery work on October 22. Check 511PA for current conditions.