Basic Facts

Crash date: October 2, 2026

Crash location: I-87, Westport, Essex County, NY

People involved:

  • Timothy A. Zabek, 48
  • Michel Pisarski, 64

Do authorities suspect alcohol played a role in this crash?: Unknown

Are there possible charges or citations?: Unknown

Do authorities suspect a product defect caused the crash?: Unknown

Accident Report

October 2, 2026, Timothy Zabek and Michel Pisarski were injured following a semi-truck versus bus accident at 6:08 a.m. along I-87.

Preliminary information about the accident says that it took place along northbound lanes of the interstate in the Town of Westport, between Albany and Montreal.

According to current statements, 48-year-old Timothy Zabek was in a tractor-trailer going along the Adirondack Northway. 64-year-old Michel Pisarski was in a Adirondack Trailways charter bus. The vehicles somehow collided, and the 18-wheeler crashed off-road as a result.

Reports say that both Timothy Zabek and Michel Pisarski had non-life-threatening injuries. There didn’t appear to be any passengers on the bus at the time of the crash. Investigations are ongoing.

How Did This Accident Occur?

Usually, vehicles going the same direction on an interstate crash when someone was on their phone, going too fast, following too closely, or driving on too little sleep. Especially with commercial vehicles, it’s important to consider how much could be going on behind the scenes that impacts the ability of drivers to do their jobs safely.

For example, I handled a case a while back with a commercial driver who crashed after trying to drive for more than 20 hours straight. Our investigations found that he was under pressure to meet ludicrous deadlines. His employer essentially threatened drivers with their jobs if they didn’t cut corners and break rules to meet these deadlines.

This sort of thing can happen with bus companies and trucking companies alike. And there’s also things like driver qualification, driver history, vehicle condition, oversight and safety enforcement, etc. Just looking at evidence available at the scene may not tell the whole story of what actually happened here. So, if authorities aren’t extending their efforts beyond the crash scene, it may be up to independent professionals to get the whole story here.

Did anyone witness the crash or pass by the scene afterward? Share any observations you have in the comments.

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