The Backstory
A devastating tour bus crash on Friday, August 22, 2025, on Interstate 90 near Pembroke, New York, left five people dead and dozens injured in one of the worst bus accidents in the state in recent years. The bus was carrying 54 passengers returning from a sightseeing trip to Niagara Falls when it lost control approximately 25 miles east of Buffalo, according to multiple reports from ABC News, NPR, and the CBC.
According to New York State Police Major Andre Ray, the driver apparently became distracted, lost control of the vehicle, and overcorrected before the bus veered into the right shoulder and flipped over shortly before 12:30 p.m. on the eastbound side of I 90. Several passengers were ejected from the bus during the rollover, while others became trapped inside the wreckage, prompting a massive rescue operation involving medical helicopters and emergency crews from across the region.
Five Victims Identified
According to Newsweek, the five individuals who were pronounced dead at the scene have been identified as Shankar Kumar Jha, 65, of India; Pinki Changrani, 60, of New Jersey; Zhang Xiaolan, 55, of New Jersey; Jian Mingli, 56, of New Jersey; and Xie Hongzhuo, 22, a Chinese resident who was enrolled at Columbia University. The passengers were primarily of Indian, Chinese, and Filipino descent, and interpreters were arranged to assist emergency responders at the scene.
Driver Charged With Manslaughter
The driver of the bus survived the crash and initially cooperated with authorities. However, according to The Batavian and WKBW, the driver was later arrested and charged with manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide in connection with the five deaths. State police investigators determined that driver distraction was the primary cause of the crash, while mechanical failure and impairment were ruled out as contributing factors.
The charges against the driver elevated the tragedy from a devastating accident to a criminal case that will be closely watched by transportation safety advocates and legal observers. The manslaughter charges suggest that investigators believe the driver's negligence directly caused the deaths of the five passengers.
Governor Hochul Responds
New York Governor Kathy Hochul expressed her condolences and confirmed that her team was coordinating closely with state police and local officials to assist everyone involved. "My team is coordinating closely with state police and local officials who are working to rescue and provide assistance to everyone involved," Hochul stated. The New York State Police closed all lanes of I 90 near Pembroke as the rescue and recovery operation continued throughout the day.
The crash sent shockwaves through the communities connected to the victims and raised renewed questions about tour bus safety standards on American highways. Emergency responders, including multiple medical helicopters, worked for hours to free trapped passengers and transport the injured to area hospitals. This tragedy serves as a painful reminder of how quickly a routine trip can turn deadly.
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