Three people have died as a result of a five-vehicle crash on Wednesday on Route 33 in Hamilton Township, Monroe County.

State police at the Stroudsburg barracks gave preliminary details of the incident.

Police said they were dispatched to the area of mile marker 20.6 in the township.

Through the investigation, police said it was determined a tractor trailer was traveling southbound on the highway while the four other vehicles that were involved in the wreckage were all traveling northbound.

Police said the tractor trailer traveled off the west berm of the roadway, striking an embankment before re-entering the southbound lanes of travel and traveled southeast, hitting the guide rail in the center median, ultimately entering the northbound lanes of travel on Route 33.

Police said the rig struck the four other vehicles in the northbound lanes before coming to final rest.

One vehicle came to final rest on the right shoulder just north of the crash scene, a third vehicle came to final rest underneath the tractor trailer, facing southwest.

The fourth vehicle came to final rest in the right lane, facing northeast in front of the tractor trailer, and the fifth vehicle came to final rest in the left lane, underneath the rig and facing north.

Police said the driver of vehicle No. 3 was pronounced dead at the Lehigh Valley Hospital-Pocono, East Stroudsburg, while a front seat passenger in the third vehicle was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The driver of vehicle No. 5 was pronounced dead at the Lehigh Valley Hospital, Salisbury Township.

Police said all of the vehicles involved sustained major/disabling damage and were towed from the scene.

Troopers were assisted at the scene by the Troop N Forensic Services Unit, Troop N Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Specialist Unit, PSP Stroudsburg Criminal Investigation Unit, Troop M Patrol Unit, PENNDOT and numerous fire departments and EMS personnel.

The incident happened shortly before 11 a.m. The highway was closed until 9 p.m.

The investigation is continuing.