CLINTON TWP, Venango County — A crash on Interstate 80 early Wednesday resulted in a tractor trailer being cut in half.

The crash took place about 1:30 a.m. at the westbound Clintonville exit.

Chief Gerry Rea of the Clintonville Volunteer Fire Department said that the driver of a tractor trailer, who was not identified, apparently swerved to avoid hitting a deer and counter-corrected his steering too much, causing him to flip the truck on its side with the bottom of the trailer facing traffic.

A second tractor trailer traveling in the same direction plowed into the first truck’s trailer, causing the first trailer to break in half and causing the second trailer to flip on its side.

Rea said that the driver of the second truck, who also was not identified, was taken by the Emlenton Area Ambulance Service to a hospital with minor injuries. The driver of the first truck refused treatment, Rea said.

The first truck was transporting merchandise for Sears stores. It was not clear what the second truck was carrying.

The crash left parts of the road closed for several hours. It initially blocked both westbound lanes.

Rea said the crash was in between the off-ramp and on-ramp of the Clintonville exit, so traffic was able to be detoured easily. One lane of the road was reopened at 5 a.m. Wednesday.

Rea said the second lane was not reopened until late in the afternoon. He said removing the truck and debris was a time-consuming because crews wanted to keep the second trailer in one piece and also wanted to try to salvage as much merchandise from the first trailer.

State police in Franklin investigated the crash, but a police report was not available this morning.