By Tiffany Williams –
New York highways turned deadly this week, claiming multiple lives in back-to-back crashes that have left families and local communities reeling. In Middletown, a head-on collision on State Highway 28 killed a woman in her 30s, while days later in Bethlehem, a high-speed chain-reaction crash on I-87 claimed another life and left several injured. New York State Police are investigating both tragedies, trying to piece together how routine drives spiraled into catastrophe.
Just before 3 p.m. on October 28, 2025, New York State Police Troopers responded to State Highway 28, just north of County Highway 6 in Middletown, after a two-vehicle crash. Authorities determined that a 2022 Ford Edge, traveling north, crossed into oncoming traffic for reasons still under investigation, colliding head-on with a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado. Natasha Reed, 36, of Delhi, NY, who was driving the Ford Edge, was pronounced dead at Margaretville Hospital. Ernest K. Bilzer, 57, of Fleischmanns, NY, driving the Silverado, was transported to O’Connor Hospital with injuries not believed to be life-threatening.
Just days later, at approximately 4:44 p.m. on November 1, 2025, New York State Police Troopers from Troop T were called to I-87 northbound near Exit 23 in Bethlehem for a three-vehicle crash. Investigation revealed that a 2011 Chevrolet sedan, driven by William F. McAllister, 37, of Ringgold, Virginia, swerved into the right lane at high speed, sideswiping a 2009 Ram pickup before veering back into the left lane and rear-ending a 2025 Chevrolet sedan. The driver of the Chevrolet sedan, a female, was pronounced dead at the scene. Passengers from the vehicles sustained injuries, with some transported to Albany Medical Center and Albany Memorial Hospital. McAllister tested negative for alcohol, but was charged with multiple vehicle and traffic law violations.
Both crashes are under thorough investigation by New York State Police, with the Middletown crash still pending cause determination and the Bethlehem crash being examined by the SP Latham Bureau of Criminal Investigation. These tragedies serve as a stark reminder of how quickly ordinary drives can turn deadly on New York roads.