Maspeth, Queens, NY (June 29, 2026) – Two people died, and dozens more were injured after a chartered coach bus overturned and crossed into oncoming traffic on the Long Island Expressway, according to officials.
The crash happened around 11:45 p.m. on the westbound Long Island Expressway near the Greenpoint Avenue exit in Maspeth. The bus was an airport shuttle carrying the crew of Royal Jordanian Flight 8261, which had landed at Kennedy Airport just before 9:45 p.m. The crew was on the way to their hotel.
According to officials, the westbound bus first collided with two vehicles before striking the center divider. The bus then overturned into the eastbound lanes, where it struck two additional vehicles.
The bus driver and one passenger were pronounced dead. The driver of one of the eastbound vehicles was taken to the hospital in critical condition, and three other drivers involved were reported in stable condition. About two dozen passengers aboard the bus were transported to Bellevue Hospital, NewYork-Presbyterian Queens, and Elmhurst Hospital Center for evaluation.
The crash shut down the Long Island Expressway in both directions for hours while crews cleared the wreckage and investigators processed the scene. All lanes have since reopened. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
This is a developing story. Details may change as the investigation continues.
A flight crew heading to a hotel after a long haul should never end up in a wreck like this, and the families of the two people who didn’t survive it now carry a loss that started with someone else’s wheel crossing a median.
Bus Accidents on New York Highways
A commercial bus crossing a center divider into oncoming traffic points to questions that go well beyond the driver behind the wheel.
- Who may be liable: the bus operator, the charter company, a maintenance contractor, or a parts manufacturer if a mechanical failure played a role
- What investigators examine: the bus’s maintenance logs, the driver’s hours-of-service records, black box data, and roadway conditions at the time of the crash
- Multiple vehicles were struck on both sides of the median, so claims from several drivers and passengers may proceed at the same time, each evaluated on its own facts
Under New York law, you generally have three years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury claim (CPLR ยง 214). For the families of those who died, a wrongful death claim generally must be filed within two years of the date of death.
Contact Our NYC Bus Accident Attorneys
Two families are now facing the kind of loss no one prepares for, and dozens of injured passengers and drivers are sorting through hospital visits and insurance calls they didn’t ask for.
Our NYC bus accident lawyers have spent more than 25 years building cases against bus operators, trucking companies, and commercial carriers across New York City, recovering over $900 million for injured clients along the way.
A charter bus carries maintenance logs, driver logs, and onboard data that companies are not required to keep forever, so the sooner that paperwork is locked down, the better the chance it survives to support a claim.
We take these cases on contingency, which means there’s no bill for our time unless we recover money for you.
Why Queens families trust Frekhtman & Associates:
- $900M+ recovered for injured New York clients across more than 25 years of practice
- $69,225,000 auto accident jury verdict, one of the largest in New York State history
- Free 24/7 consultations, including home and hospital visits for clients unable to travel
- Personal callbacks from founding attorney Arkady Frekhtman
- Russian-language services available
- Zero fees unless we win your case
Talk With a Queens Bus Accident Attorney at (718) 331-3330
If you or someone you love was on that bus, in one of the other vehicles, or is grieving someone who didn’t make it home, call us or reach out online and we’ll walk you through what comes next, including a visit to you if you can’t travel.
