Chain-reaction pileups hurt 17 in snowy Maine

ETNA, Maine – More than 70 vehicles got tangled up in a series of chain-reaction pileups Wednesday along a snowy stretch of Interstate 95 in Maine, injuring at least 17 people, state police said.

The pileups in Etna, near Bangor, happened at about 7:30 a.m. and involved several cars, a school bus and a tractor-trailer, state police spokesman Steve McCausland said. He said some of the injuries were serious.

Emergency personnel climbed on top of cars to reach motorists stuck in the middle of the jumble of vehicles. State police said the crash was the biggest in Maine in more than 15 years.

Rhonda Kent, an occupational therapist from Saint Albans, said her car was sideswiped amid the pileup, which sent cars and trucks spinning. Kent, who was not injured, said a logging truck came dangerously close to hitting her and spun off into a ditch.

“It was almost surreal, something you see in the movies,” Kent said.

Two hospitals reported taking in 17 patients, some in serious condition. One person at the scene of the crash had a heart attack and some people suffered broken bones, police said.

Police said the main crash involved more than 25 vehicles, and there were a series of other wrecks leading up to the crash site.

State Police Lt. Sean Hashey said he was “absolutely shocked that we don’t have any fatalities.”