August 24, 2025

A terrible accident happened near Exit 48A east on I-90 at around 12:40 pm on Friday. A tour bus carrying 54 people from Niagara Falls to New York City suddenly swerved and rolled into a ditch. Sadly, five people lost their lives in this crash. New York Police revealed the identities of the victims. They are Xie Hongzhuo, 22, from Beijing, China; Zhang Xiaolan, 55; and Jian Mingli, 56, both from Jersey City; Pinki Changrani, 60, from East Brunswick, New Jersey; and Shankar Kumar Jha, 65, from India. The bus was operated by M & Y Tour Inc., a company based in Staten Island. According to New York State Police, the bus driver got distracted, which caused the vehicle to lose control and roll over into a ditch. However, the full cause of the accident is still being investigated. State Police Major Andre Ray said, "The cause of the collision is still under investigation. However, mechanical failure as well as operator impairment have been ruled out at this time. The operator has been cooperative and with the investigation still underway. No charges have been filed at this point." The driver is cooperating fully with officials as they work to understand what exactly went wrong. Interestingly, M & Y Tour Inc. had a "satisfactory" safety rating from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration in 2024. But the company did fail nine inspections out of 43 in the two years before. Almost all its drivers passed background checks. The company also had a past environmental problem. In 2019, it was fined $15,000 by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for producing hazardous waste at a Brooklyn location without proper storage or management. New York Governor Kathy Hochul expressed her concern about the incident. She said she had been briefed on "the tragic tour bus accident" on the Thruway. She added, "My team is coordinating closely with @nyspolice and local officials who are working to rescue and provide assistance to everyone involved," via her message on X. This heartbreaking crash has shocked not only the families but also the whole community. While investigations continue, people hope for answers and justice for the victims, especially the beloved Shankar Kumar Jha from India.

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Tags: Nyc bus crash, Shankar jha, M & y tour inc., New york police, Bus accident investigation, Safety rating,