Five passengers were killed and dozens of people were injured when a tour bus overturned on the New York State Thruway near Pembroke, New York, on August 22, 2025. The bus was returning to New York City after a trip to Niagara Falls when it left its lane and rolled over shortly after noon.
According to the New York State Police, troopers were dispatched at about 12:22 p.m. to Interstate 90 eastbound between exits 48A and 49 in the town of Pembroke, Genesee County. The bus was owned by M&Y Tour Inc. of Staten Island.
Later federal investigative records established that the vehicle was a 2005 Van Hool T2145 motorcoach carrying the driver and 53 passengers, for a total of 54 occupants. Five passengers died. The driver and most of the remaining passengers suffered injuries ranging from minor to serious.
How the Crash Happened
The National Transportation Safety Board said the motorcoach was traveling east on Interstate 90 from Niagara Falls toward New York City when it departed the travel lanes onto the right shoulder. It then moved left across both eastbound lanes, entered the center median, returned to the highway and rolled onto its right side.
The bus came to rest near mile marker 404 with part of the vehicle along the shoulder and edge of the roadway. The posted speed limit at the location was 65 mph.
Initial State Police information said there were no signs that the driver was impaired and no mechanical failure had been identified. Investigators therefore continued examining driver actions, roadway factors, vehicle records and other evidence rather than attributing a cause during the initial response.
Large Emergency Response After Passengers Were Trapped and Ejected
The rollover triggered a major emergency response involving ambulances, medical helicopters, firefighters, police and other first responders. State Police said some passengers were ejected from the bus while others were trapped in the wreckage.
Injured passengers were transported to several hospitals, including Erie County Medical Center, Strong Memorial Hospital, Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital and United Memorial Medical Center in Batavia. Mercy Flight and numerous regional emergency agencies assisted at the scene.
Early reports about the number of people aboard the bus varied. Subsequent NTSB documentation clarified that there were 53 passengers and one driver. Five passengers were fatally injured; the driver and 44 passengers sustained injuries classified as minor to serious, three passengers had injuries whose severity was initially listed as unknown, and one passenger was recorded as uninjured in the later federal crash summary.
Children Were on the Bus, but None Were Killed
Children were among the passengers, and several suffered injuries. Early breaking-news reports incorrectly suggested that a child had been among the fatalities. Authorities later clarified that all five people killed were adults.
The NTSB's later survival-factors investigation documented injuries across a wide range of passenger ages, including children. Investigators also examined seat-belt use and occupant ejections as part of their review of why some passengers suffered more serious injuries than others.
Investigators Later Examined Driver Distraction
Information released after the initial crash substantially clarified the final moments before the rollover. In a 2026 human-performance factual report, the NTSB said the driver told investigators that a water bottle rolled toward the front of the bus and near his feet. He said he attempted to move or pick it up and lost control during the sequence.
A passenger interviewed by investigators also described the driver attempting to reach for a bottle before losing control. The bus had inward-facing and forward-facing cameras, and the NTSB reviewed recordings covering the period leading up to the crash.
These findings were investigative evidence rather than, by themselves, a final determination of probable cause. The NTSB investigation page continued to list the case, identified as HWY25MH015, as an ongoing investigation while the agency worked toward a probable-cause determination and possible safety recommendations.
Federal Investigators Also Reviewed the Bus and Operator
The NTSB investigation has included the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, New York State Police, the New York State Department of Transportation Motor Carrier Compliance Bureau and the New York State Thruway Authority.
Investigators examined the motorcoach, its operating history, the driver's work and rest schedule, onboard video, occupant injuries, emergency response and highway conditions. Federal toxicology testing cited in the NTSB's later factual work was negative for alcohol and commonly tested drugs of abuse.
Later Criminal Charges Against the Driver
The legal status of the case changed months after the crash. On February 11, 2026, following a Genesee County grand jury indictment, State Police arrested driver Bin Shao, then 56, of Flushing, Queens.
Authorities charged Shao with five counts of second-degree manslaughter and five counts of criminally negligent homicide, corresponding to the five passenger deaths. Prosecutors said the charges concerned decisions and actions allegedly taken while he was operating the bus. They continued to say there was no evidence that alcohol or drug impairment caused the crash.
Shao pleaded not guilty when he was arraigned in February 2026. The charges are allegations, and a criminal indictment does not establish guilt.
Crash Investigation Remains Separate From Criminal Proceedings
The criminal prosecution and the NTSB safety investigation serve different purposes. Prosecutors must establish the elements of criminal charges in court, while the NTSB examines transportation accidents to determine probable causes and identify measures that could prevent similar crashes.
By June 2026, the NTSB had publicly released a large investigative docket containing factual reports covering highway conditions, the motor carrier, human performance, survival factors and onboard video. Those records provide considerably more detail than was available during the first hours and days after the crash, but factual investigative documents should not be confused with a final NTSB probable-cause finding.
Family Assistance and Regional Support
The scale of the crash required coordination among hospitals and emergency agencies across western New York. Because members of traveling families were sent to different medical facilities, support organizations assisted with communication and reunification efforts.
The American Red Cross established family-assistance services, while regional blood supplier ConnectLife appealed for donations as hospitals treated the large number of injured passengers.
The crash drew particular attention because it involved a tour group traveling one of New York's busiest tourism corridors. The motorcoach had departed Niagara Falls and was only about 35 minutes into the return portion of its trip when the rollover occurred.
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What Remains Unresolved
The official record now provides a much clearer account of the bus's path before the rollover and the driver's actions in the moments leading to it. However, the NTSB's final determination of probable cause is the authoritative federal conclusion on why the crash occurred and what safety factors contributed to its consequences.
Until that process is complete, distinctions remain important: the driver's account, passenger statements and onboard video are evidence; the criminal charges are allegations to be resolved through the court system; and the NTSB's eventual probable-cause findings are part of a separate transportation-safety investigation.
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