A tour bus carrying over 50 passengers overturned on an interstate highway in New York, resulting in multiple fatalities and injuries. The incident occurred on March 15, 2024, as the bus was returning to New York City from Niagara Falls. Police report that the vehicle lost control near Pembroke, approximately 40 kilometers east of Buffalo.
According to Trooper James O’Callahan of the New York State Police, the bus unexpectedly veered off course, leading to a violent crash. “At this time we have multiple fatalities, multiple entrapments and multiple injuries,” O’Callahan stated. Eyewitness accounts report that windows shattered and passengers were ejected from the bus during the rollover.
Emergency services responded rapidly, with several ambulances and medical helicopters dispatched to transport the injured. The Mercy Flight air medical transport service confirmed that three helicopters were deployed to evacuate patients to nearby hospitals. The Erie County Medical Centre in Buffalo has reported at least eight patients admitted following the incident.
O’Callahan detailed the sequence of events, noting the bus was traveling eastbound just before the Pembroke exit. For reasons yet to be determined, the driver lost control, resulting in the bus entering the median and subsequently rolling into a ditch on the right side of the roadway. The driver survived the crash but the condition of the passengers remains uncertain.
Governor Kathy Hochul acknowledged the tragedy through a post on X, stating her office is collaborating with local authorities and the police. She described the incident as “tragic” and emphasized the ongoing response efforts.
Witnesses provided harrowing accounts of the aftermath. Powell Stephens, a driver passing by, described the scene to The Buffalo News: “There was glass all over the road and people’s stuff all over the road. Windows were all shattered.”
As the situation unfolds, the New York State Thruway Authority has closed a significant stretch of the roadway in both directions, advising drivers to avoid the area. The response teams continue to work diligently at the scene, focusing on the care and transport of the injured, while the community comes to terms with this devastating event.
The investigation into the cause of the accident is underway, with authorities aiming to determine what led to the bus losing control. Further updates are expected as more information becomes available.
