SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — An early morning crash on I-90 involving two tractor trailers caused the closure of two lanes for several hours on Sunday. The crash occurred westbound near Exit 25A in Schenectady.

Thruway officials later confirmed that one of the drivers, Mitchell Passino, was taken to Albany Medical Center to be treated for minor injuries. The center lane reopened just before 10 a.m., and the right lane reopened by 11:45 a.m.

Mitchell Passino was driving his tractor trailer back from Massachusetts when he noticed a car stopped in the middle of I-90 for what seemed like no reason. “No flashers on, nothing. Just stopped there and I’m like, “Geez, that car’s gonna get hit!” exclaimed Passino.

When Passino found out the reason, he said it was too late. “I just started going under the underpass there. The trailer was laying sideways across all three lanes, and I hit it head-on.”

Passino says he was found 45 minutes later pinned under the steering wheel with broken ribs and cuts. Without proper warning signs like flares or reflective triangles on the road, the truck driver says he did not have the means to stop in time.

“It takes 300 feet to stop an empty tractor-trailer at 45 mph. I had probably only about 10,000 pounds in the box, but I was going 65,” explained Passino.

He is now resting at home with family who says he is lucky to be in the condition he is. With National Teen Driver Safety Week ending recently, NEWS10’s Anthony Krolikowski talked with Passino about ways to prevent something like this from happening.

“You should be driving more cautiously and a little slower. If you see a vehicle stopped, maybe you should stop too and see what the situation is before proceeding.”