Two people were extricated from a box truck Saturday, July 16, 2022 in East Haven, after the truck struck a concrete divider along Interstate 95.

EAST HAVEN — Two people were hospitalized Saturday after they were pulled from the wreckage of a box truck that crashed into a concrete divider between Interstate 95 and Frontage Road.

Troopers were called to the southbound lanes of the highway around 6 p.m. after the crash was reported to be blocking the Exit 51 off ramp, state police said.

Paramedics and the local fire department were also called to the scene.

Fire Chief Matt Marcarelli said crews from Branford and East Haven both arrived on scene to find a box truck that had crashed head-on into a concrete barrier between I-95 and Frontage Road.

Two people inside the truck were “heavily entrapped” and had to be removed from the vehicle using hydraulic tools. Crews from Branford and East Haven were able to free the two occupants after about 15 minutes.

Both were transported to Yale New Haven Hospital with injuries, according to fire officials. At least one of the occupants was reported to have serious injuries.

Marcarelli said the cause of the crash is under investigation.

The crash occurred as firefighters responded to several other incidents in town, including helping two paddleboarders, two medical emergencies and a gas leak, Marcarelli said. Those incidents depleted “all town resources for a short period of time,” he said.

Peter Yankowski is a breaking news reporter for Hearst Connecticut Media. He previously reported for the Danbury News-Times and, before that, the Ridgefield Press.