What to Know
- A major crash on the Grand Central Parkway brought traffic to a standstill for hours Friday morning
- A 19-year-old woman fractured her skull in the crash; another young woman had a severe hand laceration and an 18-year-old man broke his leg
- NotifyNYC, the city's official emergency notification account, warned to expect traffic delays in both directions in the area
Six people were hurt, three of them critically, in a major crash on the Grand Central Parkway in Queens that shut down at least two lanes on the busy highway for hours during Friday's morning commute, according to officials and traffic cams.
Law enforcement sources say a 2004 Honda going eastbound on Grand Central rear-ended a 2018 Mini Cooper around 7 a.m. near Jewel Avenue, and the three people in the back seat of the Honda were ejected from the car.
The victims were taken to the hospital with varying injuries: a 19-year-old woman has a fractured skull, another 19-year-old woman has a deep cut to her hand and an 18-year-old man has a broken leg, the sources say.
The 49-year-old driver of the Mini Cooper was taken to Jamaica Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. And the 20-year-old male driver of the Honda and the 18-year-old front seat passenger were taken to Booth Memorial Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
The eastbound side of the highway was completely shut down for more than three hours. Two lanes were also blocked westbound. Multiple ambulances responded. A cause of the crash is under investigation.
One of the vehicles involved in the crash appeared completely eviscerated. Traffic cameras showed police cars cordoning off a swath of the eastbound highway near Jewel Avenue at exit 11. Cars were forced to divert that way or sit on the road. Vehicles were seen trickling through on the westbound side.
NotifyNYC, the city's official emergency notification account, warned to expect traffic delays in both directions in the area. People who need to get to JFK are advised to use the Van Wyck as an alternative.
