Buffalo, NY (March 20, 2026) – A three-car collision was reported on westbound NY-33 near the Locust St exit in Buffalo on Thursday, March 19. Initial reports indicated that one person was unresponsive and trapped inside a vehicle.
Multiple emergency units, including fire and EMS crews, responded to the scene. Rescue efforts were carried out to free the trapped person from the vehicle.
Multi-Car Crashes on New York Highways: When Rescue Becomes Part of the Response
When a person is trapped inside a vehicle after a highway crash in New York, the response becomes more complex than a standard accident call. Fire crews trained in vehicle extrication arrive alongside EMS to safely remove the person without causing further injury. The process requires specialized equipment and careful coordination, especially when the vehicle has been severely damaged.
An unresponsive person at a crash scene is treated as a medical emergency from the moment responders arrive. EMS personnel begin assessment immediately while extrication is underway, so medical care and rescue efforts occur simultaneously rather than one after the other. Every second matters in these situations.
Multi-car crashes on high-speed roadways like NY-33 tend to produce more serious outcomes than lower-speed collisions. The force involved in highway-speed impacts increases the likelihood of vehicle entrapment and significant injury to occupants.
