TONAWANDA, New York (WWNY) – A New York State Trooper jumped a concrete highway barrier to avoid being struck after a driver later charged with driving while intoxicated triggered a chain-reaction crash on I-190 southbound Wednesday evening.
At 7:38 p.m. on July 1, 2026, a Trooper was standing outside a marked police car with emergency lights activated in the town of Tonawanda when a 2014 Dodge Ram with a dolly trailer, operated by James R. Phalen, 34, of Alden, N.Y., struck a 2007 Ford Focus.
The Ford Focus then struck the police car, which struck a 2025 Dodge Charger involved in the original crash that troopers had responded to. The Ram came to rest on the right shoulder.
The Trooper was not injured.
Phalen was uninjured and arrested for driving while intoxicated. He refused a chemical test at State Police in Buffalo and was issued appearance tickets. The Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit assisted. The investigation is ongoing.
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