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2 crashes cause 'messy' commute

PennDot workers begin the cleanup of a tractor trailer crash on the Schuylkill Expressway westbound at the Vine Street exit May 8, 2013. The truck lost control and jack-knifed, spilling its load of cartons of cooking grease, which the PennDot workers are loading onto trucks and taking away. ( CLEM MURRAY / Staff Photographer )
PennDot workers begin the cleanup of a tractor trailer crash on the Schuylkill Expressway westbound at the Vine Street exit May 8, 2013. The truck lost control and jack-knifed, spilling its load of cartons of cooking grease, which the PennDot workers are loading onto trucks and taking away. ( CLEM MURRAY / Staff Photographer )Read more
    by Frank Kummer, External or Unknown
    Published 

The morning's commute became literally a mess this morning as a tractor trailer jackknifed, and cracked open overnight, spilling its contents of shortening on I-76, and forcing the ramp at 30th Street to close for hours.

Crews cleaned up the mess, and the truck was removed. Crews spread dirt on the shortening, but were hampered by rain, which only helped serve to further slicken the highway.

PennDOT reported that the crash on I-76 impacted traffic westbound between Exit 345 at 30th and Market Streets and Exit 344 at I-676/US 30 East.  The westbound lane was re-opened at 7:30 a.m., but all lanes were not reopened until nearly 11 a.m., causing the crash to impact traffic from from University City to the Walt Whitman Bridge.

Also this morning, a van carrying multiple passengers overturned at Torresdale Ave. and Rhawn St. in Holmesburg about 5 a.m., causing various injuries.

Another car was also involved in that crash and the female driver is in custody for suspected drunk driving, police said.

Rhawn Street was closed for a time between State Road and Torresdale Avenue due to the accident.