Ice-Caused Heating Oil Spill Just One Of Many Crashes

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — New York State police said they responded to "a multitude" of weather-related crashes on the Thruway in Westchester and Rockland counties on Wednesday morning.

Freezing rain caused icy road conditions on I-287, I-95, and I-87, police said. Most of the crashes involved more than one vehicle, and most were property damage only. About a dozen crashes involved minor injuries.

A pile-up on Interstate 287 closed the highway westbound at Exit 9 for about an hour due to a property damage crash involving multiple passenger vehicles as well as a small tanker carrying heating oil, police said.

The Department of Environmental Conservation and Purchase Fire Department responded for a spill of about 1,000 gallons of fuel.

A minor injury crash on I-87 northbound in the village of Suffern involving a dump truck and three passenger vehicles had all lanes blocked on the Exit 15 off-ramp, causing traffic delays in the area, state police said. All lanes were reopened within about 90 minutes.

Troopers have continued to respond to weather-related incidents throughout the morning and early afternoon and would like to remind the public to drive slowly and use caution when traveling the roadways, police said.