NY Thruway crash leaves tractor-trailer dangling off bridge; five injured

A portion of Mendon Center Road in Pittsford was temporarily closed Thursday after a crash on the New York state Thruway caused a tandem tractor-trailer to overturn, leaving the rig dangling from a bridge.

The two-vehicle crash involved a tandem FedEx tractor-trailer in the eastbound lanes of Interstate 90 and occurred around 8:30 a.m. Thursday, said Henrietta Fire Chief Mark Cholach. New York State Police said that the tractor-trailer sideswiped a disabled vehicle while traveling east on the highway.

Cholach said five people suffered injuries that were not considered life-threatening, including the driver of the tractor-trailer. The driver of the rig and four people from the disabled vehicle - three adults and one child - were all taken to Strong Memorial Hospital with minor injuries, said New York State Police Trooper Lynnea Crane.

The trailer portion of the rig remained dangling from the bridge late Thursday morning. A mangled guard rail held the cab of the truck up along the Thruway. The trailers remained attached to the cab.

Cholach said that both trailers were empty at the time of the crash.

"Had those trailers been full, the entirety off that wreck would off the Thruway and probably not survivable," he said.

Hazmat crews were on scene due to gallons of diesel fuel spilling from the truck, Cholach said.

The crash slowed eastbound traffic on the Thruway, near mile marker 356. One lane is temporarily closed. It was not known how long Mendon Center Road would remain closed.

One eastbound lane on the Thruway remained open but stalled traffic in the area. Expect delays on Interstate 90 until the truck is removed, troopers said.

Authorities will repair or replace the damaged guardrail and inspect the bridge to ensure it remains safe to use, Crane said.