New York State Police (NYSP) have released the names of five people killed Friday in a tour bus crash in Genesee County, including a 22-year-old Columbia University student, three New Jersey residents and an individual from India.
Newsweek has reached out to the NYSP for comment via email on Saturday.
Why It Matters
The cause of the fatal crash remains under investigation, but police said the bus had no mechanical problems and the driver was not impaired. There was no other vehicle involved in the crash.
The bus is owned by M&Y Tour Inc of Staten Island, which has 20 drivers and reported no crashes in the past two years, according to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Public records of the company show it underwent 43 vehicle inspections in the past 24 months, with 9 of them rendering vehicles “out of service,” giving the company an overall “satisfactory” rating.
What To Know
Around noon on Friday, New York State Troopers responded to a tour bus accident on Interstate 90 in Pembroke, New York, east of Buffalo. The bus was travelling east from Niagara Falls to New York City with 54 passengers including the bus driver.
Authorities said that “the bus exited the roadway into the median then abruptly corrected causing the bus to overturn and roll off the I-90 on the south embankment,” which led to multiple passengers being ejected. State Trooper James O’Callaghan said on Friday that the bus, which was going at full speed, lost control for “unknown reasons.”
Five individuals were pronounced dead at the scene: Shankar Kumar Jha, 65, of India; Pinki Changrani, 60, of New Jersey; Zhang Xiaolan, 55 of New Jersey; Jian Mingli, 56, of New Jersey; and Xie Hongzhuo, 22, a Chinese resident enrolled at Columbia University. The university said counseling services are available to students, according to NBC News.
The police have also identified the bus driver as Bin Shao, a 55-year-old resident of Flushing, New York. He had no signs of impairment, according to the police.
EMS and first responders assisted individuals at the scene, and multiple other individuals, including children, were taken to nearby hospitals. Erie County Medical Center received 21 patients from the crash, United Memorial Medical Center in Batavia received two, and University of Rochester Medical Center treated six, according to CBS News. Multiple passengers were transported by Mercy Flight, a nonprofit emergency air medical transport provider.
The crash closed the New York State Thruway in both directions between exits 48A and 49on Friday.
What People Are Saying
Columbia University said in a statement Saturday, per NBC News: “We are devastated by the death of one of our students, Xie Hongzhuo, in the tragic bus accident near Buffalo on Friday. This heartbreaking loss is felt deeply across our community. We are in close contact with her family and offering them our full support.”
State Trooper James O’Callaghan said on Friday: “It’s a full-size tour bus. Heavy amount of damage. Most people, I’m assuming, on the bus did not have a seat belt on, that is the reason why we have so many ejected people on this bus.”
Democratic New York Governor Kathy Hochul posted on X Friday night: “The @nyspolice have confirmed that among those injured in today’s bus accident in Western New York, five lives were tragically lost. Our hearts are with their loved ones during this difficult time.”
Representative Elise Stefanik, a New York Republican, wrote in an X post Friday: “Please join me in prayer for the victims, the injured, and the families of those involved in the fatal bus crash on the Thruway in Pembroke. God bless and protect our @nyspolice and first responders who rushed to the scene to save lives. Please check the @NYSthruway for important updates.”
What Happens Next?
The investigation remains ongoing, with multiple agencies assisting with the matter.
State police encourage anyone who may have witnessed the crash or has dash cam footage is asked to contact them at (585) 344-6200.
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