Firefighters from Friendship Fire Company, Roaring Spring, divert northbound traffic off of Interstate 99 at the Claysburg/King exit as local law enforcement personnel conduct a manhunt in the area on Thursday afternoon. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski

Three juveniles from Scranton were taken into custody Thursday afternoon after a two-vehicle crash on I-99 northbound between Claysburg and East Freedom resulted in a manhunt. The three males, ages 15, 16 and 17, fled the scene, with one carrying a gun, police said.

The crash occurred about 1:37 p.m. Thursday. According to dispatch, one vehicle hit the guardrail and one person was ejected.

Before emergency responders could arrive at the crash site, the person who was ejected was moved from the road, got to his feet and fled the scene along with two others.

State police began a search for the three juveniles in the woods and on Sproul Mountain, where after more than a hour, they were taken into custody while trying to ascend the mountain, about 2.5 miles from the crash site.

During the search, I-99 northbound was closed between the Sproul and East Freedom exits. State police contacted state Game Commission officials for assistance in accessing game roads and were given permission for locks to be broken on any gates police needed to open, according to dispatchers.

In addition, Conemaugh Nason Hospital was contacted to be on the lookout for the three, as one was likely injured, police said in talking with dispatch.

Police voiced concerns the trio would go down the mountainside into the residential area, as it was unknown how badly the juvenile was injured when he was ejected in the crash.Instead, police sighted the three moving north up the mountain and took them into custody about 2:55 p.m.

It was the discovered the vehicle was reported stolen from Johnstown, police said. When the three were taken into custody, police located a stolen .380-caliber handgun, along with stolen cash.

Police were unable to find a facility to take the juveniles Thursday night and they were released to their guardians, the report states. Charges will be filed in juvenile court.

Claysburg-Kimmel School District was on a lockdown during the incident. About 3:15 p.m., the district posted that “law enforcement has given us the ‘All Clear’ to resume normal activities.”

High school buses were then released and elementary buses began departing about 3:45 p.m.

Because police accessed the search area from Mountain Road in East Freedom, and traffic was backed up from the I-99 closure, buses from the Spring Cove School District that travel through East Freedom were delayed about 30 minutes, according to reports.