A tour bus returning to New York City from Niagara Falls overturned on Interstate 90 in Pembroke, western New York, on Friday afternoon, killing five adults and injuring dozens of others, state police said. The 54-seat vehicle, operated by Staten Island-based M&Y Tour Inc., left the eastbound lane shortly after 12:20 p.m., crossed the median and came to rest on its side in a roadside ditch, shutting the Thruway in both directions for several hours. Investigators said the driver, 55-year-old Bin Shao of Flushing, became distracted, lost control and over-corrected. Mechanical failure and impairment have been ruled out, and no other vehicles were involved. Many passengers were not wearing seat belts; several were ejected or trapped, prompting a large-scale rescue that included six medical helicopters and dozens of ambulances. State police on Saturday identified the dead as Shankar Kumar Jha, 65; Pinki Changrani, 60; Columbia University student Xie Hongzhuo, 22; Zhang Xiaolan, 55; and Jian Mingli, 56. Hospitals in Buffalo and Rochester treated more than 40 injured passengers ranging in age from one to 74; most are expected to survive. Authorities said the majority of riders were of Indian, Chinese or Filipino descent, and translators were brought in to assist families. The National Transportation Safety Board has dispatched a go-team to examine vehicle condition, driver performance and roadway factors. Governor Kathy Hochul called the crash "tragic" and said her administration is coordinating assistance. Eastbound lanes of Interstate 90 reopened late Friday, but investigators have asked witnesses with dash-cam footage to come forward as the inquiry continues.
UPDATE: The road linking Las Vegas to Pahrump has reopened after being closed for several hours due to a fatal wrong-way crash that left a motorcyclist dead early Tuesday morning. https://t.co/vJHIYe3bPg
UPDATE: The road linking Las Vegas to Pahrump will be closed for several hours after a fatal wrong-way crash that left a motorcyclist dead early Tuesday morning. https://t.co/C21ezpeDd8
The road that links Las Vegas with Pahrump is closed due to a fatal crash. https://t.co/6VuZzrBjn3