Tour bus crashes on New York Thruway; driver, 56 passengers injured

WEEDSPORT, N.Y. — A tour bus crashed on the New York State Thruway on Saturday, injuring the driver and its 56 passengers, authorities said.

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The injuries on the bus ranged from minor to serious, Trooper Tara McCormick confirmed to the Syracuse Post-Standard via email. There were no life-threatening injuries, officials told WSYR-TV.

Update 12:08 a.m. EDT Aug. 15: The driver of the bus was identified as Fermin P. Vasquez, 66, of Wingdale, The Auburn Citizen reported. State police said the injuries to Vasquez and the 56 passengers ranged from minor to serious.

Original report: The crash occurred near the Weedsport exit of the Thruway, the newspaper reported. Weedsport is located about 25 miles west of Syracuse.

According to the New York State Police, the crash was reported at 12:41 p.m. EDT, The Auburn Citizen reported. The bus was traveling west on Interstate 90 when the crash occurred, and the bus rolled over on its side, according to the newspaper.

The bus was headed for Niagara Falls from the Fishkill area of the state, located in the Hudson Valley, according to The Associated Press.

The passengers included children, Auburn Community Hospital spokesperson Matthew Chadderdon told the AP.

Auburn Community Hospital received about 27 patients, including the driver, and was assessing their conditions, Chadderdon said. Three were transferred to Upstate University Hospital, the area’s top-level trauma center.

There were no immediate details from the hospitals on the injuries or ages of the patients, Upstate spokesperson Darryl Geddes told the Post-Standard. Geddes said the hospital received 25 patients in all.

It was not clear what caused the crash, or what company owned the tour bus.

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