What Happened
A crash on the westbound Long Island Expressway (I-495) in Queens County blocked the left lane Monday, September 14, 2026. No exact time of day, vehicle count, or cause has been confirmed in the initial source record. The incident was classified as moderate severity.
One left lane remained blocked while the scene was active. No fatalities or serious injuries were reported in the source data for this event.
Location & Road Context
The I-495 corridor through Queens is among the busiest stretches of highway on Long Island. A left-lane block on westbound I-495 during any part of the Monday commute window can push delays back several miles toward the Nassau County line.
According to Long Island Traffic’s incident registry, I-495 has recorded 98 incidents in the past 30 days and 474 so far in 2026. The most recent prior fatal crash on the corridor occurred August 26, 2026; details are at that incident report. Queens County has logged 344 recorded accidents in Long Island Traffic’s local database.
Broader Impact
Monday, September 14 was a heavy day on the LIE overall. Separate incidents the same day included a driver checking crash damage in Melville who was struck by a second car, resulting in two arrests and a Manorville man charged with drug-impaired driving after a separate LIE crash. The day before, a major crash on the LIE resulted in two arrests and one person with serious injuries.
Additional details on the Queens crash, including agency response, a clearance time, and any charges, had not been released as of the initial report.