The incident happened on Interstate 90 near Pembroke, about 25 miles east of Buffalo, resulting in multiple fatalities, injuries, and entrapments, state police spokesperson James O’Callaghan said in a news conference.
The bus was traveling eastbound right before the Pembroke exit, before it “lost control, went into the median, overcorrected, and ended up in the ditch, which would be on the right side of the roadway,” he added.
Translators were brought to the scene as most passengers on the bus were from India, China, and the Philippines.
“The driver is alive and well,” O’Callaghan said. “We’re working with him. We believe we have a good idea of what happened, why the bus lost control.”
Bystander Powell Stephens told The Buffalo News after driving by the crash that “there was glass all over the road and people’s stuff all over the road. Windows were all shattered.”
The crash involved a tractor-trailer, and O’Callaghan confirmed that “the bus did roll,” but did not reveal the exact reason why.
“It’s a full-size tour bus. Heavy amount of damage,” O’Callaghan said. “Most people, I’m assuming, on the bus did not have a seat belt on. That is the reason why we have so many ejected people on this bus.”
Mercy Flight and other services used multiple helicopters and ambulances to transport crash victims, with the Erie County Medical Center, a Buffalo hospital, receiving at least eight patients. Of the 52 on board, 51 were passengers and one was the driver.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul stated she was briefed on the “tragic” incident and that her office was coordinating with police and local officials.
“I’ve been briefed on the tragic tour bus accident on the @NYSThruway,” she wrote on X.
“My team is coordinating closely with @nyspolice and local officials who are working to rescue and provide assistance to everyone involved.
This is a developing story…
