Massive tractor-trailer crashes into South Nyack overpass, blocks I-87 lanes

At approximately 12:20 p.m. on Monday, a tractor-trailer on I-87 in South Nyack slammed into the underside of the South Broadway overpass, causing the vehicle to heel over onto its right wheels before sliding onto its side and blocking three lanes of the New York State Thruway. The collision scattered debris across the roadway, forcing surrounding motorists to brake sharply and swerve to avoid further impact. The truck’s driver, 50-year-old Pernell Harris, was unharmed according to the New York State Police, while a person seated in a Toyota sedan parked in the breakdown lane was rescued and taken to a hospital with injuries that are expected to be non-fatal.

Harris received a ticket for operating an over-height vehicle, and the crash is under investigation. Cleanup crews have closed two lanes as they remove wreckage, and the bridge had suffered a similar over-height strike in 2023. The incident underscores ongoing safety concerns for over-height traffic on the Thruway.