Five people have died after a tour bus met with an accident at the New York State Thruway on August 22, Associated Press reported. The bus returning to New York City from Niagara Falls with 54 passengers crashed and rolled Friday on an interstate highway.
The driver apparently got distracted, lost control and overcorrected before the bus went into the right shoulder and flipped over shortly before 12:30 pm on the eastbound side of Interstate 90 in Pembroke, New York, state police Maj Andre Ray said at a Friday evening news conference. The incident took place about 40 km east of Buffalo. However, he did not say how the driver became distracted, adding that the cause remains under investigation.
Governor Kathy Hochul said on X that she had been informed of the ‘tragic tour bus accident’.
The New York State Thruway Authority shared an update that “I-90 east and west is closed between exit 48A (Pembroke) and exit 49 (Depew) due to a serious crash.” They advised that vehicles seek alternate routes and avoid the area.
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Meanwhile, Governor Hochul said her team was coordinating with concerned officials who were working to rescue and provide assistance to all involved.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, Governor Hochul said her team was coordinating with concerned officials who were working to rescue and provide assistance to all involved.
{{/usCountry}}The New York State Police also shared an update on X, saying “I-90, Pembroke- All lanes closed due to a collision involving a bus. Expect heavy delays and alternate routes of travel.”
Visuals of crash emerge
Visuals of the accident also began to surface on social media.
The pictures showed a bus that looked like it had skidded off the road.
Another person shared that a ‘mass casualty incident’ had unfurled, and the picture shows a long line of vehicles held up.
Yet another profile shared images of the crash.
Sharing photos of the accident, another profile claimed that the bus had been hit by a tractor trailer.
(With AP inputs)