Two people were injured after a tractor-trailer crashed into a concrete barrier on the New York State Thruway in Onondaga County the morning of Sept. 17. According to the Democrat and Chronicle, State Police responded to the truck accident in the westbound lanes of Interstate 90 in the town of Van Buren for a report of a jackknifed tractor-trailer. Investigators said 38-year-old Stephen Garpue Nauhn was driving the large truck westbound in the left lane through an active work zone when he lost control and struck a concrete barrier.
Speed Was a Contributing Factor
The impact pushed the barrier into the eastbound lanes triggering a chain-reaction crash involving three eastbound vehicles. Nauhn and the driver of one of those vehicles were transported to Upstate University Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Speed was a contributing factor in the crash, officials said. The truck driver was issued tickets for vehicle and traffic law violations.
Police took the opportunity to remind drivers to slow down in work zones. State Police also reminded drivers to slow down, remain alert and comply with New York’s Move over Law when driving through work zones. According to statistics, there were 228 crashes in Thruway work zones in 2025, which resulted in 28 injuries. The investigation into this incident is ongoing.
The Dangers of Speeding and NY’s Move Over Law
Truck accidents can cause serious injuries because of the size and weight of these commercial vehicles. Speeding can make these crashes even more dangerous, particularly in construction and highway work zones where lanes may narrow, shift or merge unexpectedly. Truck accident injuries may include traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, multiple fractures, amputations or even death.
New York takes speeding in work zones seriously. Speeding violations in work zones can carry increased penalties, including higher fines and points on a driver’s record. Drivers should reduce their speed, pay attention to changing traffic patterns and follow posted work-zone signs.
New York’s Move Over Law requires drivers approaching certain stopped emergency, maintenance or other authorized vehicles to exercise caution and, when required, move over to maintain a safe distance. The law is designed to protect workers, emergency personnel and others who may be stopped along the roadway. When a truck accident occurs in or near a work zone, evidence such as photographs, witness statements, traffic-camera footage, police reports and vehicle information can help establish what happened.
Contacting an Experienced Truck Accident Lawyer
If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck accident, or if you have lost a loved one in a motor vehicle accident caused by a negligent or careless driver, the very experienced New York personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options, and also fight hard to recover just compensation for you. It is in the best interest of injured victims and their families in such cases to contact a very experienced personal injury lawyer before contacting the people responsible for the injuries, and definitely before contacting or communicating with any insurance company, or their lawyers, investigators, or adjusters.
For over 54 years, our skilled accident attorneys have established a proven track record of helping injured victims get fair compensation for their losses. Our law firm recovered $5,600,000 for a bicyclist who was hit by a van, and $2,550,000 for another victim of a truck accident, and $3,000,000 for a pedestrian who was hit by a car, and $2,000,000 in a hit-and-run accident, and the full $1,000,000 insurance policy for a pedestrian who was hit by a truck, and $4,625,000 for a driver who was in a car and was hit by a van, and $2,500,000 for a man who fell through an improperly secured hole. We also recovered $1,500,000 for a lady who was hurt by a bus, although there was only a 1 million dollar insurance policy and we got $500,000 above that insurance policy.
We also obtained $295,000 out of a $300,000 insurance policy in compensation for the victim of a bicycle dooring accident (where a car door opens into the path of a bicyclist). One of our clients obtained a verdict for $43,940,000 and another of our clients got a verdict for $23,500,000, both in medical malpractice cases. Also, we got a $1,400,000 verdict in a motorcycle accident.
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury cases, negligence cases, motor vehicle accidents, slip-and-fall accidents, trip-and-fall accidents, ceiling collapse cases, lead poisoning, paraplegia cases, quadriplegia cases and medical malpractice cases including, brachial plexus palsy (Erb’s palsy) and cerebral palsy cases in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
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Source:https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2026/09/20/rochester-man-tractor-trailer-crash-ny-thruway-work-zone/91859669007/