Queens, NY (September 5, 2026) – Five people were hurt, including one critically, when a car carrying four occupants overturned during a two-vehicle crash on the Cross Island Parkway, the NYPD said.
The crash happened at about 9:15 p.m. near 154th Street in Whitestone. Police said a 2020 Toyota Camry driven by a 19-year-old man, carrying three passengers ages 16, 18 and 19, was traveling in the left northbound lane.
According to the investigation, the driver was attempting to merge into the center lane when he failed to navigate the roadway, resulting in a collision with the rear of a 2008 Honda Accord occupied by a 42-year-old male driver and a 36-year-old female passenger.
Police said the Camry overturned, ejecting the 19-year-old and 16-year-old passengers. The 19-year-old sustained severe head trauma and was taken by EMS to NewYork-Presbyterian Queens Hospital in critical condition. The 16-year-old was taken to the same hospital in stable condition with what were described as minor injuries.
The other two occupants of the Camry and the driver of the Accord were transported to NYC Health+Hospitals/Jacobi in the Bronx in stable condition. The Accord’s passenger was not injured.
Police said no arrests have been made. The crash remains under review by the NYPD Highway District’s Collision Investigation Squad.
This is a developing story. Details may change as the investigation continues.
Car Accidents in Queens, New York
When a driver fails to navigate a lane change and strikes another vehicle, the people riding along, and the occupants of the car that gets hit, often bear the worst of it. Getting medical documentation and legal guidance in place early matters.
- See a doctor immediately, even for injuries that seem minor at the scene. Head trauma in particular can worsen in the hours after a crash.
- Do not give a statement to any insurance company, including your own, before speaking with an attorney.
- Preserve evidence while it’s still available: the vehicles’ event data recorders, any dashcam or nearby surveillance footage, and the NYPD Collision Investigation Squad’s findings once released.
- Do not sign a medical authorization or accept a settlement offer before an attorney reviews the case.
Where an investigation finds that more than one driver contributed to a crash, New York’s pure comparative fault rule still allows an injured person to recover damages, reduced by their own share of fault, if any.
Under New York law, you generally have three years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury claim (CPLR § 214). For this crash, that deadline falls on September 5, 2029.
Contact Our Queens Car Accident Attorneys
A crash that leaves one teenager fighting to recover from a head injury and sends four other people to two different hospitals is the kind of case that calls for lawyers who have handled the worst version of this before.
Our Queens car accident attorneys have recovered more than $900 million for injured New York clients, including a $69,225,000 auto accident jury verdict, one of the largest in state history.
The Collision Investigation Squad’s report, the vehicles’ data recorders, and witness accounts from the parkway are all time-sensitive, and the sooner they’re secured, the more they can do for a claim.
There’s no cost to talk with us, and no fee 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
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