Driver in viral Albany crash speaks out after trooper hits his car, questions linger

ALBANY, NY (WRGB) -- A dash camera video that went viral is now fueling questions about accountability from the driver after he was rear-ended by a New York State Police trooper at an Albany intersection last week. The driver, Benjamin Hyserman, said he had just exited I-87 and was turning left when the crash happened. “I got off the Northway, took the left-hand turn, I slowed down, the trooper was not paying attention at all and just slammed into the back of my car,” Hyserman said. Hyserman said the trooper’s response after the collision left him stunned. “Then not even asking if I was okay or ‘I’m sorry,’” he said. In video shared exclusively with CBS6, the trooper can be heard telling Hyserman he was trying to pull him over, though the trooper’s lights remained off until after the collision. Trooper: “I was pulling you over, you were going 60 in a 45. You avoided a lane change over there, you were trying to get away from me.” Hyserman: “No, I wasn’t, I was trying to change to the turning lane!” CBS6 reached out to State Police on Friday about the collision. In a statement, State Police said, “Both vehicles were exiting Interstate-87 onto Western Avenue when the eastbound marked troop car struck the rear of another eastbound vehicle that had stopped in traffic. No injuries were reported, and no citations were issued.” Hyserman disputes that, saying he hurt his ankle joint, shoulder and back in the crash. Hyserman, a U.S. Army veteran and father to an 11-year-old daughter, said he cannot afford health insurance and expects to struggle with medical bills. He said he has tried to get answers from the State Police about covering damages and medical costs. “I literally emailed back asking like how we were going to go about being damages, how we were going to go about medical bills and everything else, and I have literally 4 or 5 unanswered emails,” Hyserman said. Hyserman said he is now considering legal action if State Police will not take accountability for the collision.