OSWEGO COUNTY, NYÂ – State Police responded to a vehicle fire on Interstate 81 southbound near the Central Square exit on Sunday evening, June 9, 2025, at approximately 7:18 p.m.
According to the investigation, Yannick Pearson, a 50-year-old driver from Canada, was operating a 2007 Peterbilt tractor trailer southbound on I-81 when the vehicle’s tires began smoking. Pearson quickly pulled the truck onto the shoulder and safely exited the vehicle before it caught fire.
The Central Square and Brewerton Fire Departments responded to the scene and successfully extinguished the blaze. No injuries were reported in the incident.
The fire caused both southbound lanes of Interstate 81 to be temporarily closed near the Central Square exit. Traffic was diverted during the emergency response, but both lanes have since reopened to normal traffic flow.
The cause of the tire smoking that led to the vehicle fire remains under investigation by State Police.
