PEMBROKE, NEW YORK — A tour bus returning to New York City from Niagara Falls crashed and rolled over on an interstate highway on Friday, resulting in five fatalities and numerous injuries among the more than 50 people on board. The accident occurred on I-90 near Pembroke, about 40 kilometers east of Buffalo, and is under investigation by New York State Police and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
According to State Police Major Andre Ray, the bus, which was carrying 54 people including a driver and tour company employee, lost control after the driver became distracted. “The operator became distracted, lost control and overcorrected,” Ray said. The bus veered into the median, overcorrected, and then flipped into a ditch on the side of the roadway. Investigators have ruled out mechanical failure and driver impairment as causes of the crash.
The five victims confirmed dead were all adults, an update from an initial report that at least one child was among the fatalities. Many passengers were ejected as the windows shattered, and several were trapped beneath the wreckage. A passenger manifest provided by the bus company, M&Y Tour Inc. of Staten Island, confirmed the nationalities of most of the passengers were Indian, Chinese, and Filipino. Translators were brought to the scene to assist emergency responders.
“At this time, we have multiple fatalities, multiple entrapments and multiple injuries,” said Trooper James O’Callaghan, a spokesperson for the New York State Police.
A multi-agency emergency response included several ambulances and medical helicopters from Mercy Flight and other services, which transported over 40 patients to area hospitals. Dr. Samuel Cloud, chief medical officer at Erie County Medical Center (ECMC), described the crash as a major trauma event for the hospital. Patients were also transported to the University of Rochester Medical Center, among other facilities.
The crash forced the closure of a lengthy stretch of the New York State Thruway (I-90) in both directions, causing significant traffic delays. New York Governor Kathy Hochul commented on the “tragic tour bus accident” via X, stating her office was working with police and local officials.
“There was glass all over the road and people’s stuff all over the road,” said Powell Stephens of Medina, a witness who drove by the scene.
The driver of the bus survived and is cooperating with the ongoing investigation. The bus company, M&Y Tour Inc., has a “satisfactory” federal safety rating with no prior accidents on record in the last two years.
