State Police investigated a fatal accident involving a tractor trailer and passenger car on I-90 (Berkshire Spur) in the town of Chatham, Columbia County.
NEW YORK STATE POLICE
Major Douglas R. Keyer Jr.
Troop T Commander
PRESS RELEASE
Chatham, NY – On October 26, 2019, at approximately 12:12 a.m., State Police were dispatched to a serious accident which occurred on I-90 eastbound on the Berkshire Spur, at mile marker 16.2.
Investigation at the scene revealed thatMichael E. Jones, 54, of Portland, MA, was operating a 2019 Volvo tandem tractor trailer, westbound in the left lane when he encountered a wrong-way driver and was unable to avoid the vehicle. A 2006 Volvo S60, operated byGeorge E. Tiggle, 45, of Schenectady, NY, was traveling westbound in the eastbound lane when the two vehicles collided.
The tandem tractor trailer continued east, struck the guiderail, and spun 180 degrees, causing the second trailer of the combination vehicle to overturn, blocking all eastbound lanes. Jones was not injured in the accident. The passenger Volvo drove off the north shoulder into the median where Tiggle was pronounced deceased by the Columbia County Coroner.
The eastbound lanes of the Berkshire Spur remained closed for over 3 hours while approximately 100 gallons of diesel fuel were cleaned up and the vehicles recovered. State Police out of Albany were assisted at the scene by Troop K BCI, Troop K Collision Reconstruction Unit (CRU) and Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit (CVEU), New York State Thruway maintenance and Traffic Safety, as well as New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for spill response. The accident remains under investigation.