A tragic bus crash in western New York claimed five lives on Friday, including a 65-year-old Indian tourist. The tour bus, carrying 54 passengers, was traveling from Niagara Falls to New York City when it overturned near Buffalo.
Victims identified
On Saturday, the New York State Police released the names of the victims. They were Shankar Kumar Jha, 65, of Madhubani, India; Pinki Changrani, 60, of East Brunswick, New Jersey; Xie Hongzhuo, 22, a Columbia University student from Beijing, China; Zhang Xiaolan, 55, of Jersey City, New Jersey; and Jian Mingli, 56, also of Jersey City.
Authorities confirmed that the passengers included tourists from India, China, and the Philippines.
How the accident happened
Police said the bus was a 2005 Van Wool Bus and Coach vehicle owned by M&Y Tour Inc., Staten Island, New York. It was traveling eastbound on the I-90 highway when the accident occurred.
Investigators found that the bus veered into the median before the driver abruptly corrected course, causing it to overturn and roll down the embankment. Several passengers were ejected and trapped. Emergency responders confirmed that five people died at the scene, while many others suffered injuries.
Victims were taken to multiple hospitals, including Erie County Medical Center, Strong Memorial Hospital, Millard Fillmore Suburban, and UMMR in Batavia. Rescue teams also used eight helicopters and translators to assist in treating and communicating with passengers.
Driver and cause under investigation
The driver, Bin Shao, 55, of Flushing, New York, survived the crash and is cooperating with authorities. Police confirmed he showed no signs of intoxication or impairment. They also ruled out any mechanical failure.
“Mechanical error was ruled out as well as impairment or intoxication,” Major Andrew Ray told reporters.
So far, investigators believe the driver became distracted, which led to the loss of control. A police spokesman said, “The driver is alive and well – we’re working with him. We believe we have a good idea of what happened, why the bus lost control. We just want to make sure that all the details are thoroughly vetted.”
Emergency response
The crash prompted a large-scale rescue effort. Local EMS teams, police, firefighters, and Mercy Flight, a non-profit air ambulance provider, responded immediately. Margaret Ferrentino, president of Mercy Flight, said helicopters and first responders worked together to save as many lives as possible.