thruway

A tractor-trailer hauling cars is reportedly on fire on the Thruway in the area of mile marker 396.8, eastbound lane.

The caller reports flames coming from under the dashboard.

East Pembroke Fire dispatched.

UPDATE 2:37 p.m.: Cab now reported fully involved.

UPDATE 2:40 p.m.: One truck from Town of Batavia requested to the scene.

UPDATE 2:47 p.m.: A chief on scene requests an Oakfield tanker. "It's going pretty good," he says.

UPDATE 2:51 p.m.: A couple of the cars on the truck are on fire. Indian Falls and Pembroke requested to the scene.

UPDATE 3:04 p.m. (Billie): Tankers from Corfu and Darien are now requested. There is heavy traffic congestion around the burning rig, impending the ability of responders to reach the scene more quickly.

UPDATE 3:08 p.m. (Billie): Corfu is asked to standby in the East Pembroke Fire Hall. Darien is asked to wait at the Thruway service area until called if needed.

UPDATE 3:16 p.m. (Billie): Eastbound traffic is being diverted off the Thruway at the Pembroke exit. The congestion has also made it difficult for empty water tankers to leave so those with water can get in there.

UPDATE 3:31 p.m. (Billie): The fire is out and the crews are doing overhaul to finish the work.

UPDATE 4:48 p.m.: Top photo, submitted by Thomas Schneider. Bottom two photos by Howard Owens.

A tractor-trailer and another vehicle are reportedly involved in a traffic accident on the Thruway in the area of mile marker 394.1 in the westbound lane.

East Pembroke Fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 10:51 p.m.: Everything's off the road. One minor injury. Responding units can proceed carefully.

A tractor-trailer has jackknifed and reportedly rolled over on the westbound Thruway at the Batavia exit.

Unknown injuries.

It's also not known yet what the tanker was hauling.

Town of Batavia Fire and Mercy EMS responding. State Troopers are on scene.

UPDATE 11:32 a.m.: Tanker is carrying salt. There is some diesel fuel spill. The driver is out of the truck and walking around.

UPDATE 11:46 a.m. (Billie): The vehicle is carrying 78,000 pounds of granular salt. There is concern about the diesel fuel and they are working to absorb it with pads and sand. The driver is being transported to UMMC with complaints of back and neck pain and he has some minor abrasions. A pumper is requested from Oakfield to standby at the Batavia fire station. Traffic may be diverted to exit 47, Le Roy, but that hasn't been confirmed yet.

UPDATE 12:12 p.m.(Billie): After a "tug of war" with Thruway authorities about handling traffic in the aftermath of this accident, Batavia chief on scene says the Thruway supervisor insists on opening up traffic lanes and removing, or shifting, the emergency equipment. "We are packing up all of our equipment and we are leaving. It's all in the Thruway supervisor's hand." They opened the left lane to traffic, most firefighters have left, and those remaining are pulling onto the grass and staging in the right lane. A piece of equipment from Montgomery is en route to hoist the disabled tractor-tanker onto its wheels. The chief made sure the supervisor's name was written down "for the record."

UPDATE 12:25 p.m. (Billie): The Batavia chief says the Thruway supervisor is now directing traffic by himself standing behind his truck with a single amber light. "That's the extent of the traffic control here." All Town of Batavia units are back in service.

UPDATE 12:43 p.m.: Below, the current situation at the accident scene.

UPDATE 12:48 p.m. (Howard): We're hearing voices of two or three people talking about directing traffic on the Thruway. They're not using call signs, so we don't know who they are. It sounds like they're struggling with the traffic situation. They are trying to figure out how to position a truck ahead of the accident to get people to slow down. People do slow down, but then speed up again and then slam on their brakes just before the accident scene.

UPDATE 1:04 p.m.: One of those voices just said, "You've got about a 50-50 chance of getting somebody with their head up their ass."

UPDATE 1:19 p.m.: The truck has been slid completely onto the shoulder so neither lane is blocked. A voice just said it will be at least two hours before the truck is removed.

UPDATE 3:53 p.m.: A tow truck capable of getting the tanker upright and hauled away is expected on scene at 4:30 p.m.

UPDATE 9:24 p.m.: Some time within the past 10 minutes, the scene finally cleared.

Photos from the Thruway web cam.

A car has reportedly struck a guardrail and came to rest in the median in the area of mile marker 396.2.

Unknown injuries.

East Pembroke Fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

Also, there's a two-car, no-injury accident on Route 77 near Indian Falls.

A multi-car accident with one possible injury has been reported in the westbound lane of the Thruway in the area of mile marker 390.1.

That's near the Batavia exit.

Town of Batavia Fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 5:39 p.m.: The westbound passing lane is being shut down. Below is a map of traffic taken about 5:35 p.m. from Google Maps. Google gathers data from mobile phones with Google Maps GPS enabled to track traffic patterns. The accident is three cars with one apparent minor injury.

UPDATE 5:54 p.m.: Photo at the top from Thruway web cam.

A two-car accident with unknown injuries has been reported in the westbound lane of the Thruway in the area of mile marker 394.4.

East Pembroke Fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 5:11 p.m.: There's two accidents in the area, one involving two cars mentioned above, and a three-car pileup near 395.6 in the eastbound lane. No word on injuries.

UPDATE 5:18 p.m.: No injuries at the two-car accident. There is heavy traffic moving at 20 mph or less and crews are finding it slow going to reach the scenes.

UPDATE 5:21 p.m.: At least one injury, a neck injury, reported at the three-car accident.

UPDATE 5:39 p.m.: East Pembroke, back in service.

Two and possibly four cars were involved in an accident on the Thruway in the area of mile marker 396.

A semi-truck reportedly is jackknifed.

Unknown injuries.

East Pembroke Fire and Mercy EMs dispatched.

UPDATE 1:32 p.m.: Two cars are smashed against a guardrail and the truck is off the side of the road. Traffic is not blocked.

UPDATE 1:40 p.m.: No injuries.

A driver reportedly lost consciousness while on the Thruway and his car went off the roadway into a ditch.

The accident occurred in the area of mile marker 398.2.

East Pembroke Fire and Mercy EMS responding.

There is a rollover accident reported on the Thruway near mile marker 396 in the westbound lane.

Minor injuries reported.

The vehicle rolled twice and hit another car in the service center.  The driver is conscious and alert.

Le Roy Fire and Ambulance are responding.

A motor-vehicle accident with injuries has been reported on the Thruway, eastbound lane between mile markers 402 and 404.

Pembroke and Indian Falls Fire  with Mercy EMS being dispatched.

The Pembroke chief warns that responders should be aware that the Route 77 bridge over the Thruway is very slick.

On scene, the chief reports three vehicles involved. No word yet on injuries.

UPDATE 9:04 a.m.: Everybody is out of the cars and walking around. One person may have an eye injury.

UPDATE 9:14 a.m.: A second ambulance is requested to the scene.

A tractor-trailer on the Thruway reportedly struck a deer and its brakes caught on fire.

The driver tried to extinguish the fire, but could not.

Le Roy Fire is being dispatched.

The truck is parked about 100 yards from the toll booth.

UPDATE 11:15 p.m.: Le Roy Fire went back in service about five minutes ago.

A car accident has been reported on the Thruway in the area of mile marker 385 in the westbound lane.

There is air bag deployment.

No reports on injuries yet.

Town of Batavia Fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 11:27 p.m: A vehicle is blocking a lane. No word yet on injuries.

UPDATE 11:36 p.m.:  No definitive word on injuries, but this is not sounding serious.

A woman was taken to Erie County Medical Center last night after a rear tire came off her Ford Explorer causing the vehicle to flip while she was heading westbound on the Thruway.

The SUV's front wheel then got caught in the rumble strip on the shoulder, shearing it off and causing the car to rollover again.

The 54-year-old woman's Explorer came to rest on its wheels and Batavia Fire needed to extricate her before she was transported by Mercy Flight to ECMC.

The woman was identified by Trooper Dan Golinski as Kathy Weich, of Sprakers.

The accident occurred at 9:41 p.m. at mile marker 389.3, which is between the Thruway entrance and the Bank Street Road bridge.

Weich is listed in stable condition at ECMC.

A car has reportedly rolled over multiple times on the Thruway east of Route 98 and west of the Bank Street Road Bridge.

A woman is reportedly injured, but no report on how seriously.

Town of Batavia Fire and Mercy EMS responding.

UPDATE 9:44 p.m.: The accident is in the westbound lane at mile marker 389.3.

UPDATE 9:46 p.m.: Extrication is required. Mercy Flight is being dispatched.

UPDATE 9:56 p.m: Mercy Flight leaving Genesee County Airport. ETA one minute.

UPDATE 9:59 p.m.: Mercy Flight on the ground.

UPDATE: 10:10 p.m.: Patient in route to Strong via Mercy Flight.

A grass fire has been reported in the area of mile marker 387, westbound lane, on the Thruway.

Town of Batavia Fire has been dispatched.

UPDATE 11:12 a.m.: Dispatch has received only one call on the fire. It's believed to be a small one, possibly started by a truck tire retread that came off and landed in the grass.

UPDATE 11:14 a.m.: An assistant chief has checked the Thruway and is unable to find any fire. In an unrelated incident, dispatch has also received calls about a large column of smoke behind Bj's Wholesale Club on Lewiston Road. It is a controlled burn.

UPDATE 11:16 a.m.: The controlled burn apparently has smoke drifting as far as the dispatch center on Park Road. It's been going all night and there was reportedly ash falling on West Main Street last night.

UPDATE 2:16 p.m.:  Earlier, Town of Batavia extinquished the fire. Now they're being called back to the scene.

A car fire is reported on the New York State Thruway near Le Roy.

The blaze is located near mile marker 382 in the westbound lane. Le Roy Fire and Le Roy Ambulance have both been dispatched to the scene.

A car fire was reported on the Thruway -- the car was being towed by an RV.

The RV driver was reportedly initially unaware of the fire.  He under did eventually pull over at the Batavia off-ramp.

An assistant chief from the Le Roy Fire Department was in the area and heard Town of Batavia Fire being dispatched. He responded and knocked down the fire, which was reportedly under the car.

The motorhome was reportedly traveling along the Thruway for some time with the driver apparently unaware of the car fire.

There is a reported extension of the fire into the console. The vehicle has been disconnected from the motorhome.

A rollover accident on the Thruway at 2:48 p.m., yesterday, sent all five people in the GMC Jimmy to Erie County hospitals, two by Mercy Flight, with one person still listed in critical condition at ECMC.

The SUV was driven by Lorriann Mingle, 44, of Depew. Mingle apparently swerved to avoid an unidentified car coming into her lane of travel. When she tried to move back into her lane, she over corrected, according to State Police, and when her tires hit the soft shoulder, the car flipped over.

Her front seat passenger, Dawn Hess, 40, of Palmyra, suffered a head injury, broken ribs and a broken arm.

Hess is listed in critical condition.

Mingle suffered cuts and abrasions and was treated and released at ECMC.

The Thruway was closed in both directions for 30 minutes while Mingle and Hess were picked up by Mercy Flight.

Three children in the back seat were transported to Women's and Children's Hospital in Buffalo for evaluation of minor injuries. Their names were not released.

All five people were wearing their seat belts properly, according to State Police.

The driver of the other vehicle has not been identified and no charges are pending.

(initial report)

Somebody reportedly forgot to put down the bed of a dump truck after it dumped its load at a construction site on the Thruway in Pembroke last night, according to State Police.

The driver of the truck, Sandra Palmer, 43, of Tonawanda, then proceeded West on the Thruway. Two miles later, the open bed of the truck struck the overpass of Route 77, causing the truck to rollover.

An emergency responder described the truck shortly after the 10:30 p.m. accident as "pretty well demolished."

The eastbound lane was shut down to set up a landing zone for Mercy Flight and Palmer was airlifted to Erie County Medical Center, where she is listed in fair condition this morning.

The truck was owned by Mallarie Entprises, Inc., out of Amherst.

An I-beam of the bridge was damaged, but a damage estimate was not available this morning.

A tractor-trailer rollover accident has been reported on the Thruway in the area of mile marker 400 in the westbound lane.

Pembroke and Indian Falls Fire and Mercy EMS are being dispatched.

UPDATE 10:33 p.m.: The tractor-trailer is upside down, "pretty well demolished," under the Route 77 overpass. No other vehicles apparently involved. There is road construction in the area and construction workers were attempting to make contact with the driver.

UPDATE 10:36 p.m.: It's not a tractor-trailer. It's a dump truck. Mercy Flight requested to the scene. Dispatch reports Mercy Flight was started as soon as the call came in. A fire chief reports smoke coming from the engine.

UPDATE 10:39 p.m.: The westbound lane is being shut down to create a landing zone for Mercy Flight.

UPDATE 10:50 p.m.: Mercy Flight landed.

UPDATE 11:06 p.m.: Mercy Flight is in the air.