In the quiet of a Sunday morning, tragedy struck on the bustling eastbound lanes of Interstate 78 in Salisbury Township, Pennsylvania, forever altering the lives of those involved. At approximately 10:00 a.m., near mile marker 58.8, a vibrant 20-year-old named Gavin J. Long from Middle Paxton Township, Dauphin County, lost his life in a devastating three-vehicle collision that unfolded in mere seconds but left an indelible mark.
Gavin, astride his sleek 2024 Yamaha motorcycle, was navigating the middle lane of the highway, a route likely familiar to the young rider. According to Trooper Nathan Branosky, spokesperson for Pennsylvania State Police Troop M, the fateful moment came when Gavin attempted to change lanes. In that split-second decision, his motorcycle sideswiped the rear driver’s side of a towering 2022 Volvo semi-trailer rolling just ahead of him. The impact was catastrophic.
Thrown from his bike with violent force, Gavin was struck by the massive semi-truck, a collision that proved fatal. His motorcycle, now a mangled remnant of the crash, careened into a 2025 Cadillac Escalade traveling in the adjacent left lane, striking its passenger-side front bumper. Miraculously, the drivers of both the semi-trailer and the Escalade emerged unscathed, spared from physical harm but undoubtedly shaken by the harrowing scene.
At 11:15 a.m., Lehigh County Coroner Daniel A. Buglio arrived at the chaotic scene, where Gavin was pronounced dead. The coroner’s report confirmed that the young man succumbed to multiple blunt force injuries, a tragic outcome ruled as accidental. The loss of such a young life sent ripples of grief through the community, leaving family, friends, and strangers to grapple with the fragility of life.
The crash, which temporarily closed a stretch of Interstate 78, drew a swift response from authorities. Emergency crews worked diligently, clearing the wreckage and reopening the highway by early afternoon. Yet, the investigation into the incident is far from over. The Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office, Pennsylvania State Police at Fogelsville, and the Lehigh County Coroner’s Office are meticulously piecing together the events leading up to the collision, seeking answers to prevent future tragedies.
Gavin J. Long’s life was cut short in a moment of unimaginable misfortune, but his story serves as a somber reminder of the dangers that lurk on our highways. As the investigation continues, the community mourns a young man taken too soon, his memory enduring in the hearts of those who knew him.
