On the evening of November 14, 2025, a **dangerous and ill-timed maneuver by a 2024 Honda Civic** set off a deadly multi-vehicle crash along **southbound Interstate 81** near **mile marker 135.5**, just outside McAdoo in Schuylkill County. According to the initial incident description, **28-year-old Rafael Ceballos of Hazleton** attempted to bypass a stopped vehicle by steering onto the right shoulder. Instead of slowing or re-merging cautiously, he accelerated past the stopped car and abruptly cut back into the flow of traffic.
This sudden merge placed Ceballos directly in the path of a **2024 International tractor-trailer** driven by **45-year-old Charvel Prophete of Columbus, Ohio**. The front right section of the Honda struck the rear left side of the tractor-trailer, triggering the first link in what would become a violent chain reaction. The impact sent the Honda into a destabilizing spin, causing it to rotate several times across the roadway. When the car finally came to rest, it was positioned in the right southbound lane but facing **north**,
opposite the direction of travel—leaving it dangerously exposed.Moments later, with traffic still moving at highway speeds and little time for other motorists to react, the disabled Honda was struck again. This second collision occurred when a **2016 Audi Q5**, traveling in the left lane and driven by **36-year-old Danyel Miller of Shenandoah**, came upon the scene.
The Audi collided with the Honda, compounding the severity of the crash and contributing to the fatal outcomes reported by authorities.The incident underscores how a split-second decision—particularly on a busy interstate—can have catastrophic consequences. Emergency responders quickly closed portions of I-81 as they worked to assist victims, investigate the sequence of events, and clear the roadway after the deadly chain-reaction crash.
