A sudden snowstorm is being blamed for a 64-vehicle pileup on Interstate 78 that killed three people not far from Philadelphia. The damage was so extensive that it took more than 16 hours to clear it enough to reopen the affected lanes.

This terrible incident happened the morning of Feb. 13. WCAU-TV reports that a sudden windy snowstorm moved in, as people in the Philadelphia are no doubt aware. The chain-reaction crash happened a little before 9:30 a.m., according to State Police.

Several semi trucks were among the vehicles caught up in the wreck. After it was over, 73 people were taken to area hospitals. Another three were killed. All three lived out of state and were in their 50s. They were each in separate vehicles, suggesting the terrible violenceof the pileup. First responders sent many of the rest to nearby idling buses to keep warm.

Both sides of I-78 were closed for several hours, not fully reopening until early the next morning.

In a massive crash like this one, determining whether negligence led to any of the victims’ injuries could take a long time. When the weather suddenly changes for the worse, most motorists adjust by slowing down and increasing their following distance. But some fail to take the safety of themselves and those around them seriously. They speed through ice and snow, lose control and crash into innocent people.

Fortunately, our legal system does not tolerate this reckless disregard for human life. Victims have the right to take bad drivers to court to seek financial compensation.