State police and a hospital said that a tourist bus bound for Niagara Falls rushed out of the New York State Highway and overturned in downtown New York, sending more than 50 people to the hospital.
At about 12:40 pm, the bus took the westbound side of the highway and approached Weedsport, a village about 25 miles (40 kilometers) west of Syracuse. The state police said there were about 57 people on board, all of whom were taken to the hospital due to their injuries.
The police said in a press release that it is unclear why the bus deviated from the road. Police photos showed that when the white bus was parked on the shoulder of the road, documents and other items were scattered around.
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According to the authorities, the driver of the JTR Transportation bus has been identified as Fermin Vasquez, 66, from Winddale, New York. JTR is headquartered in Poughkeepsie, New York. The state police stated that Vasquez was one of the people sent to the hospital, but did not elaborate on Vasquez’s injuries.
Local reports said the bus was heading for Niagara Falls from Poughkeepsie in the Hudson Valley.
Juan Gil-Urrego told WSYR-TV that his mother, Ximena Urrego, arranged the trip, which was one of the short trips she planned to travel to different destinations as affordable for residents. He said that the bus departed at around 6 in the morning and was one of the last trips organized by Urrego for the summer.
Gil-Urrego said there were several children on the ship, and one of them might be only one month old.
Her son said that his mother was taken to the hospital with glass in her eyes and needed back surgery, but he was only relieved that she had survived.
“It’s a miracle,” especially because another relative survived a bus accident in the past, he said. “This time, I was shocked to know that this has happened to both of them, and that they both did it.”
Spokesperson Matthew Chadden said that Auburn Community Hospital has admitted about 27 patients, including Vasquez, and is assessing their condition. The three were transferred to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse. Upstate is the top trauma center in the region. This is a hospital specially equipped to deal with serious injuries.
Spokesperson Darryl Geddes said that upstate received a total of 25 patients. He could not immediately provide information about their condition.
State police said that a westbound lane was closed until the evening, and the traffic once drove 8 miles (nearly 13 kilometers) in one direction. Authorities asked anyone who witnessed the crash to contact investigators on social media.
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Joshua Housing, Associated Press News Assistant in Minster, Indiana, contributed to this report
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