After spending the morning taking in the breathtaking sights at Niagara Falls, a group of tourists boarded a bus to return to New York City, not knowing about an hour later, their bus would be lying on its side in the ditch off the New York State Thruway.
The bus driver got distracted and lost control, officials said, overcorrecting and rolling over on the interstate, near the town of Pembroke, east of Buffalo, about 40 miles (64km) east of Niagara Falls.
Some of the 52 passengers were ejected, others were trapped, police said, as ground and air ambulances, state and local police and other first responders rushed to the crash to help.
Five people died and dozens were hurt.
Many of the passengers, some from China and the Philippines, spoke little English, so along with the ambulances and the tow trucks, translators were brought in to help police sort out what happened.
The driver of the bus who survived was also identified as Bin Shao, 55, of Flushing, New York, state police said.
“It was certainly heartbreaking to see,” Powell Stephens told WHAM after he drove by the crash on his way home to Medina from Buffalo.
“There was a lot of people embracing each other. It looked like people were breaking down.”
Passengers thrown as bus rolled over
The bus was driving at full speed and did not hit any other vehicles, but lost control from the median onward, New York State Police spokesperson James O’Callaghan said.
The bus crashed just after 12:20 p.m. and was heavily damaged. Most passengers were not wearing seat belts, authorities said, and several were thrown from the bus, while some were stuck inside as first responders swarmed the scene to rescue them.
The passengers ranged in age from 1 to 74 years old and no children were killed, state police said, revising an earlier statement that said they believed there was one child fatality.
Scores of vehicles were stuck on the busy interstate when authorities shut down both eastbound and westbound lanes to respond to the crash. Both lanes were reopened later in the day.
Hospitals prepared for mass casualties
Four regional hospitals received patients from the accident Friday afternoon, with at least two being told to be ready for a large number of patients coming all at once.
At least 47 people were taken to the hospitals, some by air, with a range of injuries from critical to minor, from head and internal injuries and broken bones, while others were deemed medically stable.
Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo revised the number of patients it received down to 21 and said seven were discharged Friday. Two additional patients are expected to be discharged Saturday. The remaining patients are in stable condition, including five patients who are in the hospital’s Trauma Intensive Care Unit, the hospital said.
“We were able to take care of all patients very quickly,” said Dr. Jennifer Pugh, chief of emergency medicine at the hospital.
Six victims were brought to the University of Rochester Medical Center by air and ground ambulance, said hospital spokesperson Scott Hesel. “Two are being treated for critical injuries and four are medically stable, including one pediatric patient,” he said.
Most of the patients were in good or fair condition and at least one of those adults has been discharged, the health care network said.
Additional patients were taken to United Memorial Medical Center in Batavia, according to state police.
The consulate did not identify victims or disclose where they were transported to.
CNN has reached out to both consulates for further information.
A list of the passengers provided by the bus company, based in Staten Island, confirmed there were 54 people on board, including the driver and another tour company employee, police said in a statement.
Yesterday, state troopers, staff with Erie County services and volunteers with the American Red Cross of Western New York were at the Family Assistance Centre set up to help survivors and victims at the Amherst senior centre.
Translators speaking several different languages including Arabic, Mandarin and Cantonese were also at the centre.
The Red Cross said in a statement they provided those impacted by the crash “lodging, emotional support, spiritual care, meals, snacks and water.”
All family members have connected with the passengers and the assistance centre was winding down operations, state police said Saturday.
Police probing the rollover crash
“Several witnesses observed the bus lose control, enter the median, then cross to the southern shoulder and overturn,” the state police said in a news release.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation but mechanical failure as well as operator impairment or intoxication have been ruled out, Maj. Andre J. Ray, a New York State Police troop commander, said Friday afternoon.
It’s too early to determine whether any charges will be filed, Ray said.
The National Transportation Safety Board said it is sending a go-team to the crash scene to conduct a safety investigation in coordination with state Police and the state Department of Transportation Motor Carrier Compliance Bureau. Members of the team would arrive Friday and Saturday, the NTSB said.
The tour bus was owned by M&Y Tour Inc. and based in Staten Island. It has no record of accidents or fatalities over the past two years, as well as a “satisfactory” safety rating, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
The company’s buses and drivers were inspected 60 times over the past two years, according to the agency.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul described the crash as “tragic” and said first responders were “working to rescue and provide assistance to everyone involved” in a post on X.
CNN has contacted the tour bus company for comment.
