Tragic Tour Bus Accident Claims Lives of Five, Including Three NJ Residents

On Friday, a tour bus carrying over 50 people crashed into a ditch on its way back to New York City, killing five individuals, including three citizens of New Jersey.

James O'Callaghan, a spokesman for the New York State Police, stated at a press conference that the crash happened at approximately 3 p.m. while the bus was returning from Niagara Falls.

Those killed in the crash were: Pinki Changrani, 60, of East Brunswick, Zhang Xiaolan, 55, of Jersey City, Jian Mingli, 56, of Jersey City, Xie Hongzhuo, 22, a native of Beijing, China, and a Columbia University student in New York City and also Shankar Kumar Jha, 65, of Madhu Bani, India.

The 2005 Van Wool Bus & Coach tour bus veered off the road and into the middle when it was heading east on Interstate 90 from Niagara Falls to New York City, according to state police. The bus overturned and rolled down an embankment after the driver made an abrupt correction, according to the police.

According to authorities, a number of individuals were ejected from the bus, and others were stuck.

The Staten Island-based M&Y Tour Inc. was the owner of the bus.

According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, M&Y Tour has a "satisfactory" safety rating and has not experienced any accidents or fatalities in the last two years. Over the previous two years, officials conducted 60 inspections of the company's buses and drivers, according to the agency.

Passengers with injuries were transported to UMMR in Batavia, Erie County Medical Center, Strong Memorial Hospital, and Millard Fillmore Suburban. Several EMS and first responders, along with Mercy Flight, provided assistance on the spot.

There were 54 individuals on the bus, according to the police. The tour bus reported no technical issues, and the driver displayed no symptoms of impairment.

Trooper James O'Callaghan stated during a press conference that it seemed the majority of passengers on the bus were not using seat belts.

A state rule mandating seat belt use for charter buses constructed on or after November 28, 2016, was enacted in response to another bus accident that occurred in New York in 2023.

The crash remains under investigation.

Anyone who may have witnessed the incident or has dash cam footage is asked to contact state police at SP Batavia at 585-344-6200.