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CAMILLA, GA -- The explosion of a semi-truck in a multi-vehicle accident rocked the town of Camilla early this morning.

Camilla police are considering charges against the driver of one of the trucks in today’s accident – Norman Larve of Tennessee. They also credit a Moultrie man, Cory Jarvis, with saving the life of at least one of the crash victims.

Melted metal, a charred chassis, a twisted trailer; it’s hard to believe the mangled mess on Highway 19 was once a large semi-truck.

“At approximately 5:15 this morning, a northbound semi-tractor trailer carrying sod was involved with an accident with a southbound, left-turning tractor trailer rig carrying boxes of frozen chickens,” said Camilla City Manager Mike Larkin.

The truck hauling the sod exploded on impact. Two other vehicles – a car and a truck – were also involved, as well as a passerby who apparently tried to rescue the driver of one of the burning vehicles.

“A total, I believe, of four vehicles, probably 5 people,” said Larkin.

All five victims were transported to area hospitals. North and southbound traffic on Highway 19 was snarled for hours.

“You got people trying to get to work, come from work, at that time and we just did the best we could to keep the traffic back to get everybody that needed help, getting them help,” said Vernon Nobles of the Camilla Police Dept.

Traffic is moving again here but clean-up crews told us it would take at least another few hours to get the roads totally clear. Investigators aren’t sure what caused the accident but they say the dense fog likely played a role.

“They’re going to have to get another trailer in to actually load these other two trailers on them and then once we get those out of here, then it comes up trying to get all this chicken and grass and burnt debris up,” said Nobles.

Crews say none of the spilled materials were hazardous.

At least one victim had surgery at Phoebe Putney earlier today.