Officials: Tour bus crashes on NY Thruway, injuring 57

A bus bound for Niagara Falls crashed Saturday on the New York State Thruway in central New York, sending more than 50 people to hospitals, state police and a hospital said.

Associated Press

Aug 14, 2021, 10:05 PM

Updated 1,077 days ago

Share:

A tour bus bound for Niagara Falls ran off the New York State Thruway and rolled over in central New York, sending more than 50 people to hospitals, state police and a hospital said.
The bus landed on its side in the grass around 12:40 p.m. along the highway's westbound side near Weedsport, a village about 25 miles (40 kilometers) west of Syracuse.
Some 57 people were aboard, and all were taken to hospitals for injuries ranging from minor to serious, state police said.
It's unclear why the bus veered off the road, troopers said in a news release. Police photos showed papers and other items strewn around the white bus as it rested on the road shoulder.
The bus was headed to Niagara Falls from Poughkeepsie, in the Hudson Valley. Juan Gil-Urrego told WSYR-TV that his mother, Ximena Urrego, arranged the trip, one of many she has planned to various destinations as affordable excursions for residents. The bus left around 6 a.m. on one of the last trips Urrego had organized for the summer, he said.
A few children were aboard, one possibly just a month old, Gil-Urrego said.
His mother was taken to a hospital with glass in her eye and needing back surgery, her son said, but he was just relieved she had survived.
“It's a miracle,” especially since another relative survived a bus crash in the past, he said. “This time around, it hits me twice as hard to know that it happened to both of them already, and both of them made it."
Auburn Community Hospital received about 27 patients, including the driver, and was assessing their conditions, spokesperson Matthew Chadderdon said. Three were transferred to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse. Upstate is the area's top-level trauma center, a hospital especially equipped to handle serious injuries.
Upstate received 25 patients in all, spokesperson Darryl Geddes said. He couldn't immediately provide information on their conditions.
It wasn’t immediately clear what company or agency owned the bus, or what caused the crash.
One westbound lane was closed until early evening, and traffic was backed up for miles, the state police said.


More from News 12
1:52
Hudson Valley doctors warn of listeria dangers following multi-state outbreak

Hudson Valley doctors warn of listeria dangers following multi-state outbreak

1:56
Sunny skies and warm temps for Saturday in the Hudson Valley

Sunny skies and warm temps for Saturday in the Hudson Valley

0:38
Multimillion-dollar transformation on the way for sections of Hudson Valley

Multimillion-dollar transformation on the way for sections of Hudson Valley

0:49
New basketball documentary film 'The Process' has ties to Westchester

New basketball documentary film 'The Process' has ties to Westchester

0:49
Olympic watch party in Pomona cheers on Rockland athletes

Olympic watch party in Pomona cheers on Rockland athletes

0:32
Veteran firefighter who suffered stroke receives warm welcome home

Veteran firefighter who suffered stroke receives warm welcome home

0:17
Yorktown police sergeant celebrates final walkout following 2 decades of service

Yorktown police sergeant celebrates final walkout following 2 decades of service

1:40
Lithium-ion battery fire blamed for closure of Newburgh tailor shop

Lithium-ion battery fire blamed for closure of Newburgh tailor shop

0:52
Slate Hill family of 5 loses home in afternoon blaze

Slate Hill family of 5 loses home in afternoon blaze

0:37
2 people charged in Middletown narcotics; firearms bust

2 people charged in Middletown narcotics; firearms bust

1:30
Motorcycle, van crash in Greenburgh causes serious injuries

Motorcycle, van crash in Greenburgh causes serious injuries

0:56
News 12 probes mystery cloud traced to Orange County & seen throughout tri-state area

News 12 probes mystery cloud traced to Orange County & seen throughout tri-state area

1:02
Hillcrest Fire Department receives 2,000 cans of drinking water, courtesy of Anheuser-Busch

Hillcrest Fire Department receives 2,000 cans of drinking water, courtesy of Anheuser-Busch

1:37
Storm Watch Team Meteorologist Skyler Harman strikes down lightning myths

Storm Watch Team Meteorologist Skyler Harman strikes down lightning myths

2:33
Can swimming become dangerous due to extremely high water surface temperatures?

Can swimming become dangerous due to extremely high water surface temperatures?

0:32
NYC officials: Westchester caseworker’s death ruled a homicide

NYC officials: Westchester caseworker’s death ruled a homicide

0:40
State, federal lawmakers introduce legislation to shorten funding gap for World Trade Center Health Program

State, federal lawmakers introduce legislation to shorten funding gap for World Trade Center Health Program

0:34
Ex Frito-Lay employee files defamation lawsuit against PepsiCo claiming he invented ‘Flamin’ Hot Cheetos

Ex Frito-Lay employee files defamation lawsuit against PepsiCo claiming he invented ‘Flamin’ Hot Cheetos

0:40
Executive orders still in place preventing Rockland County and Orange County hotels from converting into migrant shelters

Executive orders still in place preventing Rockland County and Orange County hotels from converting into migrant shelters

0:34
Finger in salad lawsuit against Chop’t discontinued

Finger in salad lawsuit against Chop’t discontinued