The bus accident that occurred last Friday on I-90 near Pembroke, New York, has claimed the lives of five individuals, including a young Columbia University student and several New Jersey residents. Gothamist reports that among the deceased are Xie Hongzhuo, a 21-year-old student from Beijing, Jian Mingli, 56 and Zhang Xiaolan, 55, both from Jersey City, Pinki Changrani, 60, from East Brunswick, and Shankar Kumar Jha, 65, from Madhubani, India.
Details surrounding this incident reveal that the charter bus, operated by M&Y Tour Inc. of Staten Island, veered off course for unknown reasons. According to a statement acquired by the New York Post, NTSB member Thomas Chapman confirmed the vehicle abruptly moved "first veered left into the median and then moved right, back across the travel lanes, rolling over off the right hand shoulder of the highway." Federal investigators are currently analyzing whether distracted driving or driver fatigue were contributing factors, as the driver, Bin Shao, 55, showed no signs of impairment.
The bus was carrying 54 people, including the driver and a tour guide, and while some passengers were ejected during the rollover, it remains unclear if seat belt usage could have mitigated the casualties. "Part of our investigation will be to determine the extent to which seat belts were being used, and the extent of which the lack of seat belt use may have been a factor in some of the passengers being ejected," Gothamist quoted Tom Chapman of the NTSB in their coverage of the incident.
Further scrutiny reveals a mixed record for M&Y Tour Inc., which, despite possessing a "satisfactory" rating, failed 20% of their vehicle inspections in the preceding two years, as reported by the New York Post. The company was previously fined for failing to comply with hazardous waste regulations, indicating a potential pattern of safety oversights.
In a statement obatined by Gothamist, university spokesperson Adam Stephan conveyed condolences: "We are devastated by the death of one of our students, Xie Hongzhuo, in the tragic bus accident near Buffalo on Friday." The National Transportation Safety Board is conducting an ongoing investigation into the crash, with a preliminary report expected within 30 days and a full report anticipated in one to two years.
