Crash on Thruway results in fatality for Buffalo man

On July 19, 2026, at approximately 4:33 a.m., troopers assigned to Troop T, SP Buffalo and SP Dunkirk responded to a two-vehicle crash on the New York State Thruway (I-90) eastbound in the town of Evans.

The preliminary investigation determined that Andre R. Akin, 33, of Buffalo, was operating a 2023 Kia sedan in the passing lane when the vehicle drifted into the driving lane and collided with a 2025 Freightliner tractor trailer operated by Dru Montae Chism, 28, of Belleville, Illinois. Both vehicles traveled onto the south shoulder and struck the guide rail. The tractor trailer partially sheared off the guide rail, which then impaled the Kia.

Chism, who showed no signs of impairment, was transported to Erie County Medical Center with minor injuries. Akin was pronounced deceased at the scene.

All eastbound lanes of the Thruway were closed for several hours while investigators conducted a collision reconstruction, with traffic diverted at Exit 57A (Eden-Angola). Once the reconstruction was complete, the exit reopened, but the right lane remained closed for several additional hours to allow for cleanup and vehicle recovery.

In addition to members of the Troop T Uniform Force, agencies responding to the scene included the Troop T Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit, Troop A Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Troop A Collision Reconstruction Unit, the Erie County Medical Examiner's Office, the Evans Police Department, and Evans Center Ambulance.