Early one evening, Auburn Fire Alarm recieved a call from the MA State Police reporting a minor MVA on the MA Pike. Ambulance 1 was dispatched. En-route, Fire Alram began recieving updates of a much more serious accident. Upon arrival, Ambulance 1 encountered a high speed, head-on collision between two fully loaded tractor-trailers. The accident had actually occured in Charlton, several miles prior to Auburn. Auburn's Rescue 1 was immediatley dispatched and Charlton Fire was notified. State Police later determined that a tractor-trailer being driven west-bound had struck a cow that was loose, jumped the median barrier, and struck another tractor-trailer travelling east-bound. Unfortunatley, one vicitim was killed instantly. The surviving vicitm was transported by Charlton Fire in stable condition. It took several hours to extricate the other victim, and many more hours to clear the highway. The MA Pike east-bound was shut down for nearly 12 hours.