Impaired wrong-way driver causes Thruway crash in Coeymans
- The NY Pulse
- 1 day ago
- 1 min read
On July 25, 2026, New York State Police arrested David Thomas Russell, 24, of Westfield, MA for driving while intoxicated.
On July 25 at approximately 4:40 a.m., troopers assigned to Troop T, SP Albany and SP Fultonville responded to a multi-vehicle crash on the New York State Thruway (I-87) southbound near Exit 21A in the town of Coeymans. The preliminary investigation revealed that Russell, operating a gray 2021 Ford pickup truck, was driving northbound in the southbound lanes when he struck a blue 2025 Ford pickup truck, operated by Armando Arevalo, 90, of Glens Falls head on. A 2026 Freightliner tractor trailer, operated by Mamadou Blade, 34, of Troy, was traveling southbound when in an attempt to avoid the crash, swerved and overturned.
Arevalo was transported to St. Peter’s Hospital with minor injuries. Blade was transported to Albany Medical Center with minor injuries.
During the investigation, troopers detected signs of impairment and administered field sobriety tests to Russell, which he failed. Russell was arrested for DWI. He was transported to Albany Medical Center for minor injuries. Russell was also issued numerous tickets for vehicle and traffic law violations, including speeding, along with reckless endangerment in the 2nd degree, a penal law violation.
Russell is due in Coeymans Town Court at a later date.
The southbound lanes of the Thruway were blocked for a time to allow response and removal of all three vehicles.
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