CHATHAM – A two-vehicle crash shortly after midnight on Saturday morning claimed the life of a Schenectady man, who was driving a 2006 Volvo S60 the wrong way on I-90 eastbound on the Berkshire Spur in Chatham.
Investigation by State Police at the scene revealed that Michael Jones, 54, of Portland, MA, was operating a 2019 Volvo tandem tractor trailer, westbound in the left lane when he encountered a wrong-way driver and was unable to avoid the vehicle.
The 2006 Volvo S60, operated by George Tiggle, 45, of Schenectady, was traveling westbound in the eastbound lane when the two vehicles collided.
The tandem tractor-trailer continued east, struck the guide rail, and spun 180 degrees, causing the second trailer of the combination vehicle to overturn, blocking all eastbound lanes. Jones was not injured in the accident.
The passenger Volvo drove off the north shoulder into the median where Tiggle was pronounced dead by the Columbia County Coroner.
The eastbound lanes of the Berkshire Spur remained closed for over three hours while approximately 100 gallons of diesel fuel were cleaned up and the vehicles recovered.
State Police out of Albany were assisted at the scene by Troop K BCI, Troop K Collision Reconstruction Unit and Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit, New York State Thruway maintenance and Traffic Safety, as well as New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for spill response.
The accident remains under investigation.
