Police Investigate Fatal Truck Crash That Shut Down NY Thruway

New York State Police are investigating a fatal truck crash that shut down the New York Thruway for around eight hours Thursday. The dramatic pictures of the rolled over tractor-trailer on its side were shared across news affiliates and social media, as northbound lanes on I-87 came to a halt.

Police say they are continuing their investigation into the matter.

New York State Thruway Statistics

While Thursday's crash may draw attention to road safety, the Thruway has "continuously been recognized as one of the safest superhighways in the nation", says New York State officials.

Per 2022 numbers, there were 11 fatal accidents on the Thruway resulting in 14 deaths, reflecting a fatality rate of 0.16.That fatality rate remains significantly below the 2021 national average of 1.37 fatalities per 100 Million vehicle miles, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

New York State Police Investigate Fatal Crash

New York State Police said in a press release that troopers responded to the report of a commercial vehicle rollover crash with serious injuries on I-87 in Albany Thursday morning.

State Police say an investigation determined that a tractor-trailer traveling northbound struck the concrete barrier separating northbound from southbound traffic. The collision caused the tractor-trailer to overturn onto a northbound passenger vehicle.

.A passenger in the tractor-trailer, 50-year-old Sabrina D. Bermudez of Ludlow, MA, and the driver of the other vehicle, 64-year-old Paul Keiley, of Rockville Centre, succumbed to their injuries at the scene.

The vehicle passenger sustained non-life-threatening injuries and has since been discharged. The driver of the tractor-trailer suffered serious injuries and remains in stable but critical condition at the hospital, says State Police.

I-87 northbound was closed between exits 23 and 24 for approximately eight hours for collision reconstruction and has been reopened.