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    • 28 injured, one critically, in bus crash on I-490 in Rochester NY
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    28 injured, one critically, in bus crash on I-490 in Rochester NY

    Harry Posted on

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    28 people were injured, one seriously, in a crash involving a tour bus on Interstate 490 in the town of Chili near Rochester on Thursday morning.

    According to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, the driver was issued multiple traffic tickets Thursday afternoon, including a ticket for fatigued driving.

    “This was a very significant accident,” Chief Deputy Michael Fowler said at an afternoon news conference outside Strong Memorial Hospital. The accident occurred when the bus, traveling at a speed of more than 70 miles per hour, went onto the road and then re-entered the road, flipped on its side, slid approximately 200 meters down the westbound lane of the highway, and came to a stop on the highway. highway near Union Street around 7:10 a.m.

    First responders found the bus on its side, spun 180 degrees, and several injured passengers were walking along the highway “in confusion,” Monroe County Sheriff Todd Baxter said Thursday morning. “It was surreal.”

    Fowler said deputies have not yet determined the exact cause of the crash, but the driver was issued multiple traffic tickets for excessive driving, unreasonable speed, unsafe lane changes and not wearing a seat belt. His name was not disclosed.

    Fowler said the driver was among those injured in the crash and was thrown through the windshield when the bus rolled over, but he helped passengers at the scene. Fowler said his injuries were “not significant.”

    The first deputy to arrive on scene attempted to enter the bus through the windshield but was unable to get inside and eventually crawled through a small escape hatch on the roof of the bus, where there were approximately a dozen injured people still inside.

    He said a total of 28 people, including the bus driver, were taken to four hospitals in Monroe County: Strong Memorial Hospital, Rochester General Hospital and Highland Hospital, all in Rochester, and Unity Hospital in Greece.

    One passenger was seriously injured in the crash, Baxter said. The patient, whose name was not disclosed, was removed from the bus at the scene after first aid.

    More than 100 first responders were called to the scene in 18 ambulances from Monroe and Genesee counties, officials said at the news conference. New York State Police also assisted at the scene.

    The bus was heading west toward Niagara Falls and stopped to drop off passengers in Rochester before the crash, Fowler said. The bus, operated by Tribal Sun Bus Company of Massachusetts, left New York City around midnight and headed northwest, stopping along the Thruway throughout the morning, Baxter said.

    The driver was cooperating with police, Fowler said, adding that deputies had no reason to believe drugs or alcohol were factors in the crash. Fowler said the bus company is also cooperating with the investigation.

    Fowler said that due to the nature of the mass-casualty crash, it would be handled as a criminal investigation “not because we believe any criminal activity was involved,” but to ensure that the crash involving a commercial vehicle and more than two dozen passengers was involved. has been thoroughly researched.

    The eastbound lanes of the highway reopened Thursday morning and the westbound lanes reopened in the afternoon, deputies said.

    On Thursday, the bus was towed from the scene to be taken to a secure facility for mechanical inspection. Deputies, along with State Police, the State Department of Transportation and the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, will evaluate evidence, including video from cameras on the bus and other drivers in the area at the time of the crash. Bus and company records will also be examined. Fowler said he expected a “lengthy investigation.”

    Fowler said any additional costs that may arise from the investigation will be covered by the District Attorney’s Office.

    NY Governor Kathy Hochul weighs in

    New York Governor Kathy Hochul He released a statement following the tour bus crash on Thursday morning.

    “Early this morning, a large bus with multiple passengers overturned on I-490 west of the City of Rochester. State Police and the Department of Transportation are on scene to coordinate with local first responders on rescue operations. To allow first responders to do their job, I-490 is closed in both directions between exits 4 and 3, and drivers are encouraged to find alternative routes. “I join the people of New York in praying for the well-being of all involved in this serious incident, and I am deeply grateful for the heroic efforts of our first responders.”

    Some of the highway’s westbound lanes are expected to remain closed until at least Thursday afternoon while Monroe County sheriff’s deputies investigate the scene. The eastbound lanes were closed for more than two hours following the bus crash but reopened around 9:45 a.m.

    Harry
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