Evans Center, Eden, Angola and Rural/Metro EMS personnel were dispatched around 3pm on Thursday as multiple vehicles and multiple victims were reported. The accident was reported to be near the eastbound parking area around milepost 443.

North Evans Fire District Chief Nick Mecca was traveling in the area of the Thruway overpass on Derby Road and reported to Evans Center Chief Dennis Allen that access to the accident scene would be limited due to the large traffic back-up.

Responding units entered the Thruway at the Exit 57a interchange and proceeded east, weaving their way along the left hand shoulder until the first turn-around at which point traffic split to the shoulders and units were able to drive up the middle of the logjam. The units passed multiple fender-benders on the two-mile trip to the "big" accident scene.

Chief Allen requested additional units from Hamburg, Scranton and Newton-Abbott. Once on location, Allen found a total of 10 cars and 4 tractor-trailers piled together or off the road into the median. Several of the cars were wedged together end-to-end.

Although no one was seriously injured, a total of 5 persons were transported to area hospitals by Evans Center, Angola, Eden and Rural/Metro ambulances. The Thruway was closed down in both directions for several hours as a result of the accident and poor driving conditions.

The crews combined their customer service skills with their Christmas spirit as 8 people were transported to the Hamburg Holiday Inn via Evans Center Engine 1 and Engine 2 to be given accommodations for the night or arrange for alternate transportation.

Scranton used their jaws-of-life to pop a door and extricate one of the victim's dog who was in a cage in the back seat of their car. One of the injured parties was transported by ambulance along with their cat to the hospital keeping people and their pets together during the holiday.