Long Island Expressway was the scene of a tragic double-sided collision involving five vehicles late Monday night (June 29). The incident occurred when a long-distance bus suddenly lost control while in motion, rear-ending the vehicle in front of it. The impact was so severe that it caused the bus to flip over the central divider, crashing into multiple cars traveling in the opposite direction in the oncoming lane.
Authorities have confirmed that the accident resulted in the death of 2 individuals on the spot, with at least 20 others being injured and taken to hospitals, including 3 individuals in critical condition.
According to a report from the New York City Police Department (NYPD), the accident took place around 11:45 p.m. on Monday night. At that time, a long-distance bus carrying passengers was traveling westbound on the Long Island Expressway towards Manhattan. The bus lost control near exit 16 in Maspeth, Queens.
Preliminary investigations by the police indicated that the bus rear-ended a car in front of it with great force, causing that car to lose control and collide with a third vehicle. However, the bus did not stop there. It continued sliding after the impact, crashing through the concrete barrier in the center of the highway, flipping in the air, and landing on the eastbound lanes of the highway where two other cars were speeding towards Long Island.
The New York City Fire Department (FDNY) and police department promptly activated their major disaster response plans, dispatching nearly 100 firefighters and emergency personnel to the scene. The site of the accident was strewn with shattered glass and severely deformed car wreckage, a heart-wrenching scene.
Upon arrival, rescue workers declared the 35-year-old bus driver and a male passenger inside the bus dead due to severe injuries.
The remaining 20 injured individuals were swiftly transported to nearby hospitals for urgent medical care. The latest official updates on injuries revealed that the driver of the car hit head-on by the bus on the opposite lane and two other passengers are in critical condition; 2 others are severely injured, while the rest of the 15 bus passengers sustained minor injuries with no immediate danger to their lives.
Due to the impact of this double-sided collision and the extensive evidence collection by law enforcement personnel, all lanes in both directions around exit 16 of the Long Island Expressway were closed from late last night until early Tuesday morning, causing a rare and massive traffic jam during the city’s Tuesday morning rush hour.
The highway collision investigation unit of the police department is on-site investigating the accident, utilizing surveillance footage to determine the exact cause of the initial loss of control by the bus, including whether it involved driver fatigue, mechanical failure, or driver error.
As of Tuesday morning, the wreckage at the accident site has been completely cleared, and both directions of the Long Island Expressway have been fully reopened. At the time of reporting, authorities are in the process of confirming the identities of the two deceased individuals in order to promptly notify their families.