A tragic accident on the New York State Thruway has left multiple people dead and dozens injured after a tour bus carrying more than 50 passengers lost control and rolled over on Friday, state police confirmed.
The bus, which was returning to New York City from Niagara Falls, crashed while traveling eastbound near Pembroke; about 30 miles northeast of Buffalo and 40 miles southeast of Niagara Falls.
State Trooper James O’Callaghan told reporters that the bus, traveling at full speed, veered into the median “for unknown reasons,” over-corrected, and ended up in a roadside ditch. Fortunately, no other vehicles were struck, but the impact left behind devastating casualties.
“There are multiple fatalities, multiple entrapments, and multiple injuries,” O’Callaghan said, adding that at least one child was among the dead.
According to a passenger manifest, the bus was carrying 52 people, including the driver. Authorities have not yet released the total number of confirmed deaths and injuries, as rescue operations are still ongoing.
Emergency response teams rushed to the scene. The Erie County Medical Center, a Level 1 trauma center, reported receiving 16 patients, while Mercy Flight, a nonprofit emergency air transport service, confirmed it had airlifted four patients to hospitals and expected to transport at least two more.
Police said many of the passengers on board were of Indian, Chinese, and Philippine nationality.
The crash forced the closure of the New York State Thruway in both directions between exits 48A and 49, causing major traffic diversions in the area.
Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz urged motorists to avoid local roads near the crash site, writing on social media:
“Please avoid all local roads near the scene as traffic is being diverted off of the Thruway (Interstate 90) in both directions.”
New York Governor Kathy Hochul also reacted to the tragedy, saying she had been briefed on the accident and that emergency agencies were fully mobilized.
“My team is coordinating closely with @nyspolice and local officials who are working to rescue and provide assistance to everyone involved,” Hochul wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Investigations are ongoing as police work to determine the cause of the crash.
