Late Monday night, a multi-vehicle crash on the Long Island Expressway in Queens left two people dead and at least 10 others injured, choking traffic on one of the borough’s busiest corridors. Emergency crews worked through the night to free trapped passengers and treat the injured while investigators documented the wreck. Authorities had not released the victims’ names as of Tuesday morning.
Crash details
According to the New York Post, the wreck unfolded just before 11:45 p.m. Monday when a westbound bus flipped into oncoming traffic near the Exit 16/Greenpoint Avenue ramp, triggering a chain-reaction collision. The Post reports that the FDNY described the incident as "a motor vehicle accident with a confirmed pin," and that two people were pronounced dead at the scene while three were critically injured and seven suffered minor injuries. The same account notes that roughly 79 fire and emergency services personnel responded to the crash.
Emergency response and road closures
The city’s alert system showed the Long Island Expressway closed at 50th Street after the collision, with westbound lanes blocked and a heavy presence of FDNY units on scene. According to NotifyNYC, drivers were urged to seek alternate routes and expect significant delays while crews worked to clear the roadway.
Why this stretch is risky
The LIE is one of the region’s higher-incident corridors, where speeds, tight ramps and heavy truck traffic can turn a single rollover into a multi-vehicle pileup. Long Island Traffic placed the Long Island Expressway near the top of its June danger ranking, and state DOT advisories show lane work and intermittent closures between 50th and 45th Streets that can complicate traffic patterns in the area. NYSDOT's traffic advisory lists recent maintenance and lane restrictions on that stretch.
Investigation and victims
NYPD collision investigators remained on scene Tuesday as detectives worked to piece together how the chain-reaction crash began. Authorities have not publicly identified the victims, according to the New York Post, and police asked anyone with dash-cam or cellphone footage to contact investigators.
Traffic impacts and what to watch
Commuters should expect lingering delays through Tuesday while cleanup and collision reconstruction continue and lanes are reopened in stages. For the latest closures and incident maps, officials pointed drivers to the city’s NotifyNYC feed and the state’s 511NY traffic site.
