Photo by Nicholas A. Hess - A three-car accident at about 1 p.m. Thursday on the 15th Street Hill in Franklin delayed traffic for much of the afternoon. Police, fire and emergency crews directed motorists and cleaned up the site. This vehicle was driven by Ken Wheeler of Franklin.

Traffic was snarled Thursday afternoon in Franklin following a three-vehicle crash on the 15th Street Hill that closed all lanes of traffic for a period of time.

The accident occurred shortly before 1 p.m., creating a mess for motorists for a couple of hours or so.

Police were directing traffic at both the top and bottom of the hill, and drivers were being diverted onto Pone Lane, according to witnesses at the scene. Meanwhile, a steady stream of cars that was backed up all the way down Liberty Street to the courthouse moved slowly up the hill.

Traffic was also tied up as far away as Venango Regional Airport in the opposite direction, according to reports.

Conditions were rainy and dreary, and flares were placed along the roadside. Drivers sat in traffic on Liberty for about 20 minutes and then spent another half hour or so at Pone Lane and Liberty, witnesses said.

One of the three drivers involved in the crash, Ken Wheeler of Franklin, said he pulled his Durango SLT out from Bell Avenue and onto the hill. "Everything happened so fast...I really don't remember (what happened)," Wheeler said.

The other two vehicles were reportedly a blue truck and a black sport utility vehicle.

Franklin state police investigated the accident, but a report wasn't available late Friday. Numerous other police, fire and emergency personnel were at the scene.

Meanwhile, a second three-vehicle crash occurred about two hours later on the 15th Street Hill a little bit north of South Bell Avenue.

Franklin state police did release a report on that accident, and the drivers were identified as William P. Remy, 80, of Polk, Neil E. Cheers, 55, of Polk, and William Armstrong, 64, of Cooperstown.

Police said Remy, who was traveling north, drove his vehicle into the back of Cheers' vehicle, which was slowed in traffic. Cheers' vehicle then struck Armstrong's vehicle, police said.

Remy received minor injuries, as did a passenger in Armstrong's vehicle, Joann L. Rodgers, 39, of Oil City.