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The ISIS Soldier Who Grew Up on the Jersey Shore

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He graduated from Atlantic City High School in 2010. His Albanian immigrant family owned a pizza shop in Margate, New Jersey. He attended a mosque where "he hated people," according his mother.

Then Zulfi Hoxha went to Syria and became Abu Hamza al-Amriki, an ISIS soldier, according to his mother and court documents in another recent terrorism case involving an American.

"I am upset," his mother Ltefaji Hoxha told NBC10 at her house in Margate in the first confirmation outside of court filings that the 25-year-old is in Syria fighting for the group also known as the Islamic State. "No good. I'm very upset."


Hoxha, 25, was identified in filings for the federal case against David "Daoud" Wright, who was convicted last year on terrorism charges and is serving 28 years in prison. The Atlantic first identified Hoxha as Abu Hamza al-Amriki.

A terrorist by that nom de guerre made waves in May 2017 when he appeared in an ISIS propaganda video. In that video, he calls on "lone wolf" terrorists to carry out attacks on targets in the United States.

"Liberate yourself from hellfire by killing a kafir," Abu Hamza al-Amriki said in the video, which showed him in battlefield fatigues and kneeling in front of rocket launchers.

His mother said she last talked to him about a year ago. Hoxha, according to the court documents in the Wright case, joined ISIS in Syria in April 2015. He quickly became a senior commander, the documents said. It is unclear why he was promoted to a commander.

"He no call me. He no call me. He say nothing. One year ago he talking to me, saying 'Zulfi is good' and now he stopped it. He no talk to me," Ltefaji Hoxha said. 

Eventually, her daughter called for her mother to shut the door.

A spokeswoman for the FBI would not talk about any potential investigations involving Zulfi Hoxha.



Photo Credit: Flashpoint
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Catch Up Quickly: Gunmen Shoot Customer 20 Times In Store

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Here are the top news stories you need to know to start your day from your friends at NBC10.


TODAY'S TOP STORY 

700 Area Massage Parlors Involved in Sex Trafficking: Hundreds of illicit massage parlors in our area are involved in human trafficking, according to a new report. Polaris,  a non-profit group based in Washington, DC that tracks modern day slavery, released a 100 page report on human trafficking in illicit massage businesses. The report states that more than 9,000 illicit massage parlors, which are actually fronts for human trafficking, are operating in the United States and creating a total revenue of approximately $2.5 billion a year. Of the 9,000 businesses, 700 are operating in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware, according to the report. “Typically, they come in from Flushing, New York and Philadelphia is a main stopping point for the trafficking to occur,” said Rochelle Keyhan, Director of Disruption Strategies at Polaris. Keyhan says Philadelphia is one of the big cities where traffickers operate with impunity at the expense of human suffering. Police say approximately 100 illicit massage businesses operate throughout Philadelphia.

      WHAT YOU MISSED YESTERDAY

      Masked Gunmen Shoot Customer 20 Times Inside Store: Two masked gunmen walked into a North Philadelphia store and fired at point blank range on a customer who was  eating inside, shooting him more than 20 times. Police say the 22-year-old victim was inside a store on the 3300 block of North 6th Street around 7 p.m. Wednesday and was eating a sandwich while sitting on a milk crate. The man was the only customer inside at the time. Three employees were also in the store. As the man was eating, two masked men walked into the store, took out their weapons and began shooting at him, striking him several times in the head, neck, chest, abdomen and legs. “They went right up to this individual, point blank range, and fired over 20 shots,” Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said. “We found over 20 spent shell casings in very close proximity. Most were just inches away from where the victim’s body was laying.” The gunmen then ran through the front door and fled on foot in an unknown direction. The victim, who lived about a block away from the store, was taken to Temple University Hospital by responding police officers and was pronounced dead at 7:27 p.m. Employees told police the victim often frequented the store. Police have no motive at this time but say the gunmen didn’t rob the victim or any of the employees.

      YOUR FIRST ALERT FORECAST  

      Thursday is expected to be cold and windy with temperatures in the 30s. Sun and temperatures in the 40s are expected for Friday. Saturday and Sunday could see temperatures hitting more than 50 degrees with plenty of sunshine. Monday and Tuesday could see some rain but temperatures are expected to stay in the 50s. Get your full NBC10 First Alert forecast here.

          TODAY'S TALKER               

          ISIS 'Senior Commander' Grew Up at Jersey Shore: He graduated from Atlantic City High School in 2010. His Albanian immigrant family owned a pizza shop in Margate, New Jersey. He attended a mosque where "he hated people," according his mother. Then Zulfi Hoxha went to Syria and became Abu Hamza al-Amriki, an ISIS soldier, according to his mother and court documents in another recent terrorism case involving an American. "I am upset," his mother Ltefaji Hoxha told NBC10 at her house in Margate in the first confirmation outside of court filings that the 25-year-old is in Syria fighting for the group also known as the Islamic State. Hoxha, 25, was identified in filings for the federal case against David "Daoud" Wright, who was convicted last year on terrorism charges and is serving 28 years in prison. The Atlantic first identified Hoxha as Abu Hamza al-Amriki. A terrorist by that nom de guerre made waves in May 2017 when he appeared in an ISIS propaganda video. In that video, he calls on "lone wolf" terrorists to carry out attacks on targets in the United States.

          AROUND THE WORLD

          13 Siblings Held Captive Likely Coerced to Remain Quiet: When a 17-year-old girl jumped out a window from the house where her parents allegedly starved and tortured their 13 children, she broke a silence that had likely lasted years. It's not clear why the teenager waited so long to act, but psychiatrists say such behavior is not uncommon even in cases of extreme deprivation. Most people would recognize milder forms of the same inaction that is a coping mechanism, whether it's failing to speak out against off-color jokes, enduring sexual harassment or staying in an awful marriage, said Dr. Bruce Perry. "This happens all the time. The number of individuals who would immediately respond to an opportunity where they could get away is very small compared to the number of people who would have that paralysis and insecurity and confusion about what to do," said Perry, a psychiatrist who is a senior fellow at the ChildTrauma Academy in Houston. The vulnerable girl might have been shamed, beaten or threatened with violence and only after many missed opportunities did she probably work up the courage to act, Perry said.


          That's what you need to know to Catch Up Quickly, but we've got more stories worthy of your time. Click here to check them out



          Photo Credit: Metro

          Gay Couple Sues Vistaprint After Receiving 'Hateful' Flyers

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          A gay couple sued Vistaprint on Tuesday in Massachusetts, alleging the printing company sent them pamphlets with messages about temptation and sin instead of the wedding programs they ordered for their special day.

          Stephen Heasley and Andrew Borg were married in Pennsylvania in September but on the eve of their wedding, they say they opened up a package that was supposed to be their wedding program, and instead they say Vistaprint sent them pamphlets about sin and Satan.

          The couple filed a federal lawsuit claiming discrimination.

          The couple's lawsuit says they were horrified to find the package they received the day before their wedding contained pamphlets with "hateful, discriminatory and anti-gay'' messages. They say they hope their lawsuit sends a message that "there will be consequences for acts of hate.''

          The couple's lawyer spoke for them from New York via FaceTime.

          "It was supposed to be the happiest day of their life and it was marred by this delivery," Michael Willemin says.

          Willemin believes the pamphlets are an assault on the rights of all gay people, equating the couple's relationship to satan's temptation.

          The printing company, with a regional headquarters in Massachusetts, confirmed in a statement Wednesday night that they just learned of the incident on January 16 and says they support diversity and reject discrimination in all forms.

          "Vistaprint in no way condones — and does not tolerate — discrimination against any of our customers based on their race, religion, gender or sexual orientation."

          Vistaprint CEO Trynka Shineman and Vistaprint founder and Cimpress CEO Robert Keane said in the statement they have reached out to the couple to "express our sadness that this incident occurred, and disappointment that this in any way diminished the joy of their wedding day memories."

          Heasley and Borg say their special event was a little less special because of the hateful messages.

          "Of course they didn't want to become the face for this but they know what they're doing has to be done," Willemin says.

          The printing company went on to say in their statement that they are hoping to establish a dialogue with the couple so together they can use this incident as an opportunity to shine a light on important LGBTQ issues.

          "To know that any customer could feel treated in such a way, especially during a time that should be filled with joy, is extremely disheartening," Vistaprint said in the statement. "We have never been more disappointed to let a customer down."

          Vistaprint officials say they are investigating the incident to determine how and why the couple received the materials. 

          DACA Deal at Heart of Government Shutdown

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          NBC10's Pamela Osborne is tracking a potential federal government shutdown if a funding deal can't be reached.

          Nine People Escape From Burning House

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          Nine people were hurt when a home along Rodney Avenue in Upper Chichester, Pennsylvania went up in flames Thursday morning.

          Last 3 Men Face Sentencing in Deadly 2013 NJ Mall Carjacking

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          The final three defendants who have pleaded guilty to their roles in the carjacking death of a young Hoboken attorney at a New Jersey mall in 2013 will learn their fate Thursday while also facing the widow of the man killed. 

          Prosecutors claimed Karif Ford and Hanif Thompson were on the hunt for high-end cars in the parking lot of The Mall at Short Hills just 10 days before Christmas in 2013. Authorities said they demanded the keys to the brand-new Range Rover belonging to Dustin Friedland. However, after a struggle, Friedland, a newlywed, was shot and killed in front of his wife. 

          Ford and Thompson admitted to their roles that night. Ford pleaded guilty to a count of first-degree carjacking and Thompson pleaded guilty to felony murder charges and unlawful possession of a handgun.

          A third defendant, Kevin Roberts, will also be sentenced after pleading guilty to first-degree carjacking.

          Friedland's widow will also read a statement aloud. 

          The getaway driver, Basim Henry, was sentenced in June, to life in prison.

          Philadelphia Among Finalists for Amazon's 2nd Headquarters

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          Philadelphia has made it to Round Two.

          The city is among 20 finalists for the location of Amazon's much sought-after second headquarters, the online retail giant announced Thursday.

          "Thank you to all 238 communities that submitted proposals. Getting from 238 to 20 was very tough – all the proposals showed tremendous enthusiasm and creativity," Amazon said in a statement.

          Hundreds of cities and counties launched ambitious — and often expensive — campaigns to lure Amazon, touting the reasons why one of the world's largest companies should choose their locations as the place for expansion. 

          Two New Jersey cities did not make the cut: Camden and New Brunswick. Newark, New Jersey, however, remains alive, as does Philly's Pennsylvania rival, Pittsburgh.

          Philadelphia officials have wooed Amazon for months, and they've spent a hefty sum on their self-publicity campaign. The #PhillyDelivers push cost $245,000.

          Mayor Jim Kenney, praising the effort in October last year, described Philadelphia as "in the Goldilocks zone" for the massive second headquarters called HQ2 by Amazon.

          "Our location is central on the Northeast corridor, our talent pool is vast, and Philadelphia has all of the amenities Amazon's employees want, at a lower cost than other big cities," Kenney said.

          The craze among cities and counties to draw Amazon comes with a huge expected windfall of jobs and related economic benefits. Amazon has promised 50,000 jobs and as much as $5 billion in local investment for the site and surrounding area chosen for H2Q.

          At the same time that potential destinations and Amazon have poured on the optimistic outlook for the creation of a second massive headquarters, local officials in many of the competing locations have already promised huge tax breaks. In New Jersey, former Gov. Chris Christie offered $7 billion in tax breaks to Amazon if the company chose Newark. 

          Boston officials have promised $75 million in new affordable housing for Amazon's future employees.

          Here is the full list of the finalists, in alphabetical order:

          - Atlanta, GA

          - Austin, TX

          - Boston, MA

          - Chicago, IL

          - Columbus, OH

          - Dallas, TX

          - Denver, CO

          - Indianapolis, IN

          - Los Angeles, CA

          - Miami, FL

          - Montgomery County, MD

          - Nashville, TN

          - Newark, NJ

          - New York City, NY

          - Northern Virginia, VA

          - Philadelphia, PA

          - Pittsburgh, PA

          - Raleigh, NC

          - Toronto, ON

          - Washington D.C.

          Check back for updates to this breaking news story.



          Photo Credit: Getty Images
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          'Cookie Bosses' Kick Off Girl Scout Cookie Season

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          It's that time of the year! NBC10's Erin Coleman gets the inside scoop on how you can help young scouts while satisfying your sweet tooth. 


          Ready to Run Campaign for Women

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          NBC10's Erin Coleman gets the details on "Ready to Run" event to empower women.

          Philly, Minnesota Zoos Bet Trees on NFC Championship Game

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          The Philadelphia Zoo is going to be making the world a little greener if the Eagles win or lose in the NFC Championship Game.

          The Philly Zoo exhibited some confidence as they bet not one, but two, Minnesota-area zoos – the Como Park Zoo & Conservatory in St. Paul and the Minnesota Zoo in Alpine Valley – ahead of the Eagles showdown with the Minnesota Vikings Sunday.

          The losing zoos (let’s be honest, the Eagles are going to win) will each plant 52 trees in the Twin Cities area in honor of the winning team (the Eagles) earning a spot in Super Bowl LII.

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          The strength of eagles (the bird) has the Philly Zoo exhibiting some confidence:

          “Eagles are magnificent birds, known for their strength, agility and resourcefulness,” Philadelphia Zoo President & CEO Vikram Dewan said. “The same attributes that have helped Philadelphia Eagles get to the NFC Championship Game this season. We are thrilled that the Eagles have gotten to this point and we are confident they will take the Vikings to task. Go Eagles!”

          In the (unlikely) scenario that the Eagles lose, the Philly Zoo will plant 52 trees in Fairmount Park.

          “A friendly wager between zoos is another fun piece to keep us at the edge of our seats for the game; but let’s be honest, if the losing team’s zoo(s) has to plant 52 trees, doesn’t everyone win?” asked Minnesota Zoo Director John Frawley.

          The zoos couldn’t help but add a little local flairs to the wager. The friendly wager also calls for the losing side (those supporting the Vikings) to send some local goodies to the winners.

          “If the Eagles win, a basket of Minnesota products including Spam, Cheerios, Pearson Salted Nut Rolls and a year supply of Post-it Notes will make its way to Philadelphia, compliments of Como Zoo and Minnesota Zoo,” the Philly Zoo said in a news release. “If the Vikings win, a basket of Philadelphia goodness containing Philadelphia soft pretzels, TastyKakes and Philadelphia’s own scrapple will be sent to both zoos.”

          Spam versus scrapple? Now that’s a battle.

          “We love eagles as the majestic, beautiful animals that they are, but the football team…not so much…at least this week,” Como Park Zoo Director Michelle Furrer said. “We’re confident the Vikings can ‘bring it home’ and we’ll be celebrating the Minnesota Vikings being the first team ever playing in the Super Bowl on their home turf. SKOLVikes!”

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          The Philly Zoo is also hoping to promote an earth-friendly message beyond just the planting of trees by challenging its fans to go to its social media channels to raise money for a local wildlife sanctuary.

          For every 10,000 views on the zoo’s “video that highlights how everyone can be an environmentally-friendly football fan,” the zoo will give $100 (up to $1,500 total) to John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge in Tinicum Township. Facebook Twitter Instagram

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          Photo Credit: Getty Images
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          Student from NJ Expelled from University After Racist Rant

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          “I don’t care if it’s Martin Luther King Day,” yelled a 19-year-old New Jersey woman into her camera phone. “I’m in the South now.”

          Harley Barber finished the rant by repeatingly chanting a particularly harsh racial slur as another girl laughed off-screen.

          Barber posted the video to her "fake" Instagram account on Monday, but by Wednesday she was packing her bags and moving back home from the University of Alabama.

          First, Barber’s sorority, Alpha Phi, kicked out the college freshman. Shortly after, the University of Alabama expelled her. Now, police sit outside her parents’ Marlton home after the family received death threats when the footage went viral.

          “I did something really, really bad,” Barber told the New York Post. “I don't know what to do and I feel horrible. I'm wrong and there's just no excuse for what I did ... I feel so, so bad and I am so sorry.”

          For its part, the University of Alabama said on Twitter that Barber’s “unfortunate behavior” is “ignorant and disturbing and in no way reflects [its] values.”

          “I’ve personally experienced discrimination like that in my school,” Marlton resident Leah Chinn told NBC10. “Her organization did the right thing by kicking her out.”

          No one answered when NBC10 knocked on Barber’s door. But at a nearby salon, employees said they were appalled by her words and a recent Facebook post left by a longtime customer.

          In the post, a woman commented that “All black should go back to Africa,” salon owner Martino Cartier told NBC10. He didn’t waste time responding in kind. Cartier sent the customer a letter saying her patronage was no longer welcome at his business.

          “MLK was a great man,” he said. “How dare you? You are part of why this society is the way it is. I will not tolerate it.”

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          Photo Credit: NBC10
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          NBC10 First Alert Weather: Warm-up Ahead

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          Thursday's temperatures called for jackets, hats, and scarves, but a warm-up is headed our way!

          Fans Prepare for Sunday's Big Game

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          Whether you're watching Sunday's big game at home or going out to watch it, all eyes will be on Lincoln Financial Field. Now, ahead of the game, fans of all ages are preparing.

          Threat of Government Shutdown Looming

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          As the threat of a government shutdown looms over Washington, Republicans are scrambling. NBC10's Lauren Mayk reports.

          The Roots Sing 'Fly Eagles Fly' During Halftime Warm-Up

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          The Eagles won’t be the only Philadelphians cheered on Sunday night at Lincoln Financial Field when they take on the Vikings.

          Philly natives The Roots will be performing during the halftime show and they're already showing some hometown pride.

          The Eagles tweeted a video of the band doing its very own Eagles Fight Song Challenge.

          Watch them sing "Fly Eagles Fly" below:

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          Photo Credit: Getty Images for Live Nation
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          Philly Makes the Short List to Host Amazon

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          Philadelphia's former competitors are now throwing their weight behind the city to become Amazon's next home. NBC10's Drew Smith has more.

          Philly Police to Increase Security for Eagles Game

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          Philadelphia police are warning South Philly residents to prepare for the big game and expect heightened security. NBC10's Aaron Baskerville has the story.

          Weekend Warm Up in Time for the Big Game

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          Skies will be sunny on Friday with temperatures finally headed above average in the low to mid 40s. Those temperatures will go into the 50s for the weekend. NBC10 First Alert Chief Meteorologist Tammie Souza has more.

          'I Hate You, Americans': ISIS Leader Who Grew Up on NJ Shore

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          Looking back at the jokes now, the lines like "I hate you, Americans" from a young man named Zulfi Hoxha don't seem so funny now.

          Hoxha, now 25, was a bus boy when he worked at a Margate, New Jersey, restaurant with Joseph Cacia.

          "We used to joke around like, 'We know you can’t stand us Americans.' And he would laugh like, haha, 'Yeah, we can’t stand you Americans,'" Cacia told NBC10. "But you didn’t think he was serious. You thought he was playing along."

          No one is laughing anymore. Hoxha is now in Syria, a "senior commander" with ISIS, also known as the Islamic State, according to federal court documents and his mother in an interview with NBC10. He goes by the nom de guerre, Abu Hamza al-Amriki, and has been identified by national security officials as one of the speakers in a May 2017 ISIS propaganda video. Al-Amriki is Arabic for "The American."

          Dressed in fatigues and armed with an assault rifle, he implores "lone wolf" attacks on the United States while kneeling in front of rocket launchers.

          After The Atlantic first reported last weekend that a New Jersey man named Nulfi Hoxha went to Syria in 2015 and became the soldier named Abu Hamza al-Amriki, NBC10 found his family in Margate. His mother, Ltefaji Hoxha, confirmed that her son is the man in the video.

          "I am upset," his mother told NBC10 at her house in Margate on Wednesday. "No good. I'm very upset."

          The family had at one time owned a pizza shop in Margate, and Zulfi Hoxha graduated from Atlantic City High School in 2010.

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          It's unclear who he was referring to when he used the word "we" in conversations with Cacia and others as a younger man, since his mother said Zulfi Hoxha was born in the United States.

          Ltefaji Hoxha said she came to New Jersey from Albania many years ago.

          The FBI was apparently a few months too late in tracking down Zulfi Hoxha, according to a former friend who grew up in Margate with the ISIS soldier.

          The friend, who asked not to be identified, said the FBI asked him to wear a wire in 2015 and talk to the Hoxha family about their prodigal son. The FBI would neither confirm nor deny an investigation of Hoxha.

          But at that time, the friend said, Zulfi Hoxha had already left the country. According to court documents in a federal terrorism case against another American ISIS sympathizer, David "Daoud" Wright, Zulfi Hoxha had left to go to Syria in April 2015.

          In a story titled "A New American Leader Rises in ISIS," The Atlantic describes how Hoxha's reputed status as a senior commander "places him in an elite category of the group’s American members who have risen to some level of leadership."

          [[469814693, C]]

          The writers noted how most American wannabe-ISIS soldiers never make it to the Middle East. More than 50 Americans, the Atlantic reported, have been arrested in the last three years trying to go to Syria. 

          Some others are like David Wright have been busted for devising attacks or conspiring to recruit fellow Americans.

          Wright was sentenced to 28 years in federal prison in December 2017 for plotting "to kill innocent Americans on behalf of ISIS," Massachusetts Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb said at the time.

          In court filings during Wright's case are the first references to the New Jersey man turned ISIS leader.

          Nulfi Hoxha hasn't reached out to his family in over a year, his mother told NBC10.

          Ltefaji Hoxha said the last time he talked to her he said, "'Zulfi is good.'"

          Echoing the supposed jokes Zulfi Hoxha exchanged with co-workers at Johnny's, his mother also said he became disillusioned a few years ago with a mosque in Atlantic City. He would say "he hate," his mother said, struggling with her English. She told him to stop going to the mosque.

          Attempts to identify the mosque have not been successful.


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          Wreck Causes Massive Slowdown on Schuylkill Expressway

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          A three-vehicle crash caused major delays along one of Philadelphia’s busiest highways during the Friday morning rush.

          The multi-vehicle wreck on the Schuylkill Expressway (Interstate 76) between Exit 331B: PA 23/Conshohocken and Exit 338: Green Lane/Belmont Avenue around 6:45 a.m. caused drive times eastbound to balloon to more than two hours on the 13-mile stretch between the Blue Route (Interstate 476) and the Vine Street Expressway (Interstate 676).

          Average speeds dipped to around 6 mph by 7:30 a.m. By 8 a.m. average speeds increased to 10 mph as the crash was cleared.

          Injuries were minor, state police said.

          If you can go another way, the best bet is to avoid I-76 until traffic begins moving normally again.



          Photo Credit: NBC10
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