An 80-year-old man died and three passengers in his vehicle were injured in a three-vehicle crash on Interstate 80 in Mercer County on Monday, July 17, state police said.

John J. Lesher, of Gratz, Dauphin County, was killed after his eastbound vehicle was rear-ended and pushed into the back of a tractor-trailer in Pine Township, about 3 miles east of the Interstate 79 interchange.

The crashed occurred just after noon and closed the eastbound lanes of I-80 for six hours.

Lesher was the front passenger seat of a Jeep SUV driven by Laura E. Lesher, 80, of Gratz. Laura and two passengers, girls ages 11 and 16, were taken from the scene for injuries, police said.

No one has been charged in the crash, and the investigation is ongoing, police said.

The crash occurred at 12:11 p.m. in the passing lane on Interstate 80 eastbound near mile marker 21.5.

Police said Shayne S. Stanford, 33, of Punxsutawney, was driving a Ram 3500 truck with an enclosed trailer attached to it, following the Jeep SUV in the passing lane.

Police said Stanford’s vehicle rear-ended the Jeep and pushed it into the rear of a tractor-trailer driven by Karandeep Singh, 26, of Modesto, Calif.

The Jeep overturned and came to rest on its roof in the passing lane, police said. It sustained major damage.

John Lesher was entrapped in the SUV and unconscious, police said. He was extracted from the vehicle by Pine Township Volunteer Fire Department and pronounced dead at the scene by Mercer County Coroner John Libonati.

Laura Lesher was taken by medical helicopter to UPMC Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh with unknown injuries. The two child passengers were taken to AHN Grove City hospital by Superior EMS ambulance.

Stanford, his two passengers and Singh were not injured, according to the report.

Eastbound lanes of Interstate 80 in Mercer County were closed for six hours between Exit 19A and Exit 24. The interstate reopened at around 6:40 p.m., according to the state Department of Transportation.

Springfield Township Volunteer Fire Department and PennDOT also responded to the scene.