Massive I-81 Crash in Central New York Caught on Video

What should have been a normal afternoon drive turned into chaos for drivers across Central and Western New York.

On I-81 southbound in LaFayette, a massive chain-reaction crash shut down the highway just south of Exit 73. State Police say it started with about 18 vehicles, including three tractor-trailers, and quickly grew to involve around 30 cars and trucks in total.

Several People Injured

Seven people were taken to area hospitals — four to Upstate, three to Crouse, and one to Upstate Community — with two suffering serious but thankfully non-life-threatening injuries.

Even drivers who weren’t hurt still had a rough time. A CENTRO bus shuttled them off the highway to the LaFayette Fire Department to get out of the cold while crews cleared the wreckage.

The scale of the crash is easy to see in a Facebook video posted by Jay Jay, who says he avoided the pileup.

The footage, which has over a million views, shows rows of cars and tractor-trailers tangled across the lanes.

Highway Closed For Hours

I-81 southbound remained closed for hours, with traffic detoured onto Route 20 and U.S. 11.

A northbound lane near Exit 67 in Tully was also closed temporarily so emergency crews could get through.

Get our free mobile app

Thruway Crashes

But LaFayette wasn’t the only spot feeling the winter weather.

On the New York State Thruway near Exit 57A in Erie County, State Police responded to several crashes at the same time. One involved two tractor-trailers, another five passenger vehicles, and a third a tractor-trailer with a car.

Westbound lanes were blocked, and two people were taken to local hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries.

Credit - NYSP

Slow Down & Leave Extra Space

Between I-81 and the Thruway, Thursday’s weather clearly made for a dangerous afternoon on the roads.

State Police are reminding everyone to slow down, leave extra space, and be ready for winter conditions that can turn a normal commute into a full-on mess.

Simple Winter Driving Tips Some Boneheads Forget Every Year

It happens every time it snows. People seem to forget how to drive in winter weather, even in Central and Upstate New York. Here are a few simple tips to make it safer for you and everyone else on the road.

Gallery Credit: Credit - Polly McAdams

Source: Snowy Chaos on I-81: Video Shows Massive Pileup