A massive vehicle pile-up in the state of Maine left more than a dozen people injured on Wednesday morning.

Maine state police said at least 75 vehicles got tangled up in a chain reaction pileup along the snowy stretch of Interstate 95. Seventeen people - some seriously injured -- were taken to the hospital to receive immediate treatment, and one reportedly suffered a heart attack at the scene. 

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Emergency personnel were immediately deployed, in what police said was the state's largest crash in 15 years. 

Police said the accident began when a car and a tractor-trailer truck slid off the icy highway in Carmel.  At least 25 vehicles including a school bus were involved in the initial pileup, which triggered a chain reaction of other vehicles hitting against each other.

Rescue personnel had to climb up on tangled cars to reach for motorists trapped in their vehicles.

Maine state police Stephen McCausland said people in the area described the scene as a "giant pile of metal".

Rhonda Kent, an occupational therapist who was involved in the massive pileup said she saw cars spinning just like in movies. Kent was not injured, but recalled a logging truck came dangerously close to crashing into her.

More than a dozen ambulances surrounded the area to provide immediate assistance to people involved in the accident. Most of them had given statements to the police. 

Students on board the school bus were not injured, while Rose Butts, a hospital housekeeper from Plymouth said she waited for hours to be rescued.

 ''We're thankful that we're both alive and both OK,'' Butts said.

The National Weather Service recorded an inch of snow  dumped on the ground at the time of the crash.  Snow was expected to reach nine inches throughout the day.

The Northbound lanes of the highway had been closed for five hours, before it was reopened to motorists in the afternoon.

TagsMaine, vehicle pileup, car pileup, winter, snow, I-95