TOWN OF LAFAYETTE, New York (WWNY) – The weather is getting the blame for a 30-vehicle pileup on Interstate 81 south of Syracuse on Thursday.
State police say 7 people were rushed to area hospitals.
Troopers were called at 2:20 p.m. to the southbound lane of I-81 for the chain-reaction crash.
A weather-related multi-vehicle crash involving approximately 30 vehicles closed I-81 southbound Thursday afternoon, sending seven people to hospitals.
State police responded at about 2:20 p.m. to the crash in the southbound lane of I-81 near Exit 73 in the town of LaFayette.
The preliminary investigation determined the primary crash involved approximately 18 vehicles, including three tractor-trailers.
Additional smaller crashes occurred, bringing the total to about 30 vehicles involved.
Four people were taken to Crouse Hospital and three to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse.
Police said two people sustained serious but not life-threatening injuries.
Uninjured people were transported from the scene to the LaFayette Fire Department by a CENTRO bus.
I-81 southbound at Exit 73 will remain closed while the crash is cleared, which is expected to last until around 7 p.m.
One northbound lane at Exit 67 in Tully opened at around 5 p.m.
Copyright 2026 WWNY. All rights reserved.











