In the small village of Rockford, a routine day took a heartbreaking turn for Thomas Snell when the semi trailer he was driving flipped and caught fire. This is not just another accident; it’s a story that dives into the heart of an incident that took place on the intersection of 72 and State Route 637, leaving Thomas with serious burns and a family trying to cope.

The accident took place at 2:49 p.m. when officers received and responded to a call of a two-vehicle accident. Lilianna A. Egia, who lived in Defiance, found herself in the middle of this horrendous accident, driving her black 2014 Ford Focus eastbound on County Road 72. In a tragic crash, Thomas’s white 2013 Freightliner semi trailer, filled with scrap steel, was traveling southbound on State Route 637.

The accident was not just a physical impact but a start of a series of events that would change lives. Snell’s semi trailer, after hitting Lilianna’s vehicle, swerved off the road in order to avoid any more collision, flipped, and spilled the load of steel he was hauling, creating a fire that overtook his whole semi trailer. 

As the flames grew larger and eventually caught onto the steel and was reaching into the cab, Thomas had to find a way out. Mercy Life Flight quickly transported him to St. Vincent Medical Center in Toledo, where his fight against the serious burns he suffered only started.

In the middle of the accident, Lilianna’s was able to make her car come to a complete stop just south of the intersection. The comparison of the minor injuries she faced against Thomas’s severe burns opens eyes about how devastating the truth of the unpredictable events of life can change lives forever.

Right after the accident, the community was planning to put together a benefit for the family, while Thomas was still recovering in the hospital, They managed to raise money, on top of in person donations, all together the family received a generous amount of money and are thankful for the community’s support. 

Thomas was admitted into the burn unit for just under a month, and was permitted to go home with scheduled check ups not long after, and was able to attend a benefit the community put together, where money was raised, and a hug from Jenna was auctioned off for $600, along with other stuff. The benefit was definitely a success, and the family could not be happier with the outcome.

The Paulding County Sheriff’s Office, Oakwood EMS, Grover Hill Fire Department and Rescue, Ohio Department of Transportation, Paulding County Emergency Management Agency, Gideon’s Towing and Recovery, and John’s Towing and Recovery all help Thomas and played important roles in helping with the aftermath, when they responded to the accident. 

As of a year later, Thomas and Lilianna are both healing and recovering from the trauma of the event. Although Lilianna has been off social media and quiet since the accident, Thomas and his family are still very grateful to live in such a supportive community, who was not only willing to donate money, but also prepare meals for the Snell kids, provide rides for the kids for Jenna, the wife of Thomas, stayed at the hospital with Thomas. 

The whole Snell family is very grateful to have such a fast healing process, and an even more supportive community who was just as affected by the tragedy. Thomas returned to work shortly after the accident in late January of 2023. The family managed to continue to live as nothing had happened, and preserved through the incident.