Barker, NY (September 1, 2026) – A Cadillac attempting to change lanes struck a Kia on northbound I-81 near mile marker 25 Sunday afternoon, August 31, sending the Kia rolling into the median, according to New York State Police. The crash happened around 12:25 p.m. After the impact, the Cadillac struck a guardrail and spun to face the wrong direction.
The Cadillac’s 23-year-old driver, of Fort Drum, was ticketed and taken to UHS Wilson Medical Center along with a 46-year-old passenger. The Kia’s 22-year-old driver, of Ontario, Canada, was also taken to the hospital for evaluation.
Troopers noted that several motorists tried driving the wrong way to bypass the resulting backup and reminded drivers that this is extremely dangerous.
We hope everyone involved has a full recovery.
Why Do Some Drivers Attempt to Go Against Traffic to Bypass a Backup?
When traffic comes to a stop for an extended period, frustration and impatience can lead some drivers to consider options they’d otherwise avoid, including reversing against the flow or crossing into oncoming lanes. This kind of decision stems from underestimating how quickly conditions can change once a road reopens or how other drivers might react to seeing a vehicle moving the wrong way.
Attempting to bypass a backup this way introduces an entirely new hazard on top of the original crash, since other drivers stuck in the same backup have no reason to expect oncoming traffic. This creates conditions for a second, unrelated crash in an area already strained by the first one.
Law enforcement typically responds quickly to this kind of behavior specifically because of how dangerous it is, prioritizing safety over the inconvenience of a lengthy delay. Patience during a backup, while frustrating, remains far safer than any maneuver that puts a vehicle in front of oncoming traffic.
