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Queens, NY (February 27, 2026) – A six-vehicle pileup on the westbound Long Island Expressway near the Queens Midtown Tunnel left four people injured on Friday, February 27, snarling morning commute traffic in the area.
The crash was reported at approximately 8:51 a.m. on the Manhattan-bound side of the expressway. Several vehicles were heavily damaged in the collision. Four people were injured, though none of the injuries were reported as life-threatening.
Aerial footage from the scene showed multiple vehicles piled up along the westbound lanes. Emergency units responded quickly, and all lanes were cleared by approximately 9:15 a.m. The crash caused significant traffic delays in the area while first responders worked to manage the scene.
The cause of the pileup remains under investigation, and more details will be released as they become available. Our thoughts are with the four people injured as they continue to recover.
Multi-Vehicle Pileups Near the Queens Midtown Tunnel: What Drivers Should Know
The stretch of the Long Island Expressway approaching the Queens Midtown Tunnel is one of the most congested corridors in the New York metro area, particularly during morning rush hour. Heavy traffic, frequent lane changes, and sudden slowdowns near the tunnel entrance create conditions where a single braking event can quickly trigger a chain-reaction crash involving multiple vehicles.
The following distance is one of the most critical factors in preventing multi-car pileups on busy urban expressways. At highway speeds, a driver who is too close to the vehicle ahead has very little time to react when traffic suddenly stops, and the vehicles behind them face the same problem in rapid succession.
Pileups on the LIE near major tunnel approaches tend to have an outsized impact on traffic flow, as lane closures in this area back up vehicles across multiple exits and connecting roads. Drivers in the area during peak hours are advised to monitor traffic conditions before entering this stretch and allow extra space between vehicles whenever possible.
