Five people, including a 65-year-old Indian man, were killed in a tour bus crash in western New York on Friday.
The New York State Police identified the victims as Shankar Kumar Jha of Madhubani, India; Pinki Changrani of East Brunswick, New Jersey; Xie Hongzhuo from Beijing, China; and Zhang Xiaolan and Jian Mingli, both of Jersey City.
The bus, carrying 54 passengers, also had travellers from China and the Philippines.
New York State Police said that the tour bus was traveling from Niagara Falls to New York City when it went off the road into the median on Interstate-90 in western New York, and when the driver tried to correct, it overturned and rolled down an embankment.
"Investigation determined that a 2005 Van Wool Bus and Coach tour bus owned by M&Y Tour Inc out of Staten Island, NY was traveling east bound on the I-90 from Niagara Falls, NY to New York City. 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. Multiple passengers were ejected, trapped with 5 deceased at the scene. Multiple individuals were taken to Erie County Medical Center, Strong Memorial Hospital, Millard Fillmore Suburban and UMMR in Batavia. Mercy Flight and numerous EMS and first responders assisted at the scene," The New York State Police, in their statement, said.
Cause of Accident Under Investigation
The cause of the crash is still under investigation, but officials confirmed that the driver, 55-year-old Bin Shao of Flushing, NY, showed no signs of impairment and the bus had no mechanical issues. Officials said the driver was distracted, which caused the accident.
Officials Say Crash Not Caused By Vehicle Failure Or Driver Impairment
Earlier, authorities had ruled out mechanical issues, driver impairment, or intoxication as factors behind the New York bus crash, according to an HT report.
Major Andrew Ray told reporters that neither mechanical failure nor driver impairment was involved, and no charges have been filed in the case, HT reported.
