What Happened
A minor crash blocked the right lane of westbound I-495 in Queens County on Saturday, September 12, 2026. No additional details, including time of occurrence, vehicle count, or injury information, have been confirmed in available official records.
The right lane was the only lane reported blocked. Through traffic on the remaining westbound lanes continued moving, though delays were possible depending on volume at the time of the incident.
No agency, including the New York State Police or the New York City Police Department, has issued a press release or public statement on this crash as of the time of filing. No charges, responding unit IDs, or cause of collision are available.
Location & Road Context
I-495, the Long Island Expressway, runs east-west through Queens before crossing into Nassau and Suffolk counties. The Queens stretch carries some of the highest traffic volumes on the corridor, particularly on westbound lanes during weekend afternoon hours.
According to Long Island Traffic’s incident registry, I-495 has logged 95 recorded incidents in the past 30 days and 465 so far in 2026 — this crash is among those 95. The most recent prior fatal crash on the corridor occurred on August 26, 2026. Three other incidents on I-495 were logged on September 12 alone, including two minor crashes and a collapsed manhole.
Queens County has 342 recorded accidents in Long Island Traffic’s local incident database. For a full list of active incidents in the county, see the Queens County accidents page.
Broader Impact
Two additional minor crashes hit I-495 on September 11 and September 12, keeping the corridor among the most active crash segments tracked by this site. Drivers on the westbound LIE through Queens should check 511NY for real-time lane status before travel.