Seven people were injured early Monday afternoon when two vehicles collided on Ard Creek Road, at the intersection with Rosin Ridge Road. The wreck occurred around three p.m., shortly after the CenturyTel phone problems, which did not apparently hamper First responder emergency assistance.

According to Red Level Police Chief Jeff Holland, there was one female driver in a Nissan Pathfinder and no passengers and six men in a Chevrolet S-10

pickup that was also involved.

"The pickup had three in the cab and three riding in the bed," said Holland. "The three in the bed were thrown out."

After impact, the pickup came to rest in a ditch, partially through a barbed wire fence. The truck then caught fire. Holland said that two of the three men in the cab were trapped and had to be pulled out while the cab was burning.

The airbag in the Pathfinder did not deploy, and according to Holland, that may have been because the driver of that vehicle, in an attempt to avoid the collision, may have swerved and hit the truck at an angle instead of head on.

"It was more in the corner than the front," said Holland of the impact on the Pathfinder. "Airbags usually require more of a head-on impact (for deployment)."

Both Faith EMS and Andalusia Rescue Squad responded with two ambulances each, all four leaving the scene of the accident within minutes of each other, transporting the seven victims to Andalusia Regional Hospital. The condition and identities of the victims were not released at press time.