Homer, NY (July 23, 2026) – Two people were injured on Tuesday, July 21, when a logging truck crossed into oncoming traffic while trying to pass a stopped tanker truck on State Route 90, according to the New York State Police. The tanker had stopped behind a tractor around 12:35 p.m. when the logging truck failed to see it and crossed the double yellow line to go around it.
While crossing over, the logging truck struck an oncoming sedan, sending it into a ditch, then flipped onto its passenger side in the middle of the road. The sedan’s 42-year-old driver, a Homer woman, was taken to Upstate University Hospital. The logging truck’s 50-year-old driver, from Greene, was taken to Guthrie Cortland Medical Center. The tanker driver was not hurt.
Route 90 was closed for hours before reopening around 6 p.m. The investigation remains ongoing.
We hope both drivers have a full recovery.
Why Is Passing a Stopped Vehicle on a Two-Lane Road So Risky?
Crossing into the opposite lane to get around a stopped vehicle requires a driver to judge oncoming traffic quickly, with limited visibility around whatever is blocking the way. A vehicle waiting behind a tractor or another slow-moving obstacle can hide oncoming cars until a driver is already committed to passing.
Larger vehicles add extra difficulty, since a truck needs more time and distance to complete a pass safely than a car would. Misjudging that gap by even a second or two can put a truck directly in the path of an oncoming vehicle with little room for either driver to react.
Rural highways like this one have long, unbroken stretches without a passing lane, which can tempt drivers to pass in situations where the margin for error is thin. Waiting for a clear, marked passing zone, rather than attempting to go around a stopped vehicle blind, remains one of the simplest ways to avoid this kind of crash.
