28 people injured, 1 critically, in Thursday morning tour bus crash on I-490 near Chili
Twenty-eight people were hurt, including one who suffered critical injuries, after a tour bus overturned Thursday morning on Interstate 490.
The crash occurred shortly after 7 a.m., shutting down I-490 between exits 3 and 4 in the Chili/Riga area.
What caused the crash, which occurred near Union Street, was not immediately clear. Monroe County Sheriff and State Police are investigating.
Westbound lanes in that area are closed, but eastbound lanes are open, according to state Department of Transportation officials.
Several ambulances and other first responders responded to the scene, but there aren't specific details yet on the severity of injuries, or how many people were on board the bus. The bus driver is among the injured.
Rochester Regional Health, which is treating some of the hurt passengers at Rochester General and Unity hospitals, said in a statement that this type of mass casualty is "a scenario we regularly train for and we are coordinating closely with local EMS and law enforcement to ensure a swift and organized response."
Thirteen passengers were transferred to Strong Memorial Hospital and three to Highland Hospital, according to a statement from the University of Rochester Medical Center on Thursday morning. One received emergency surgery, with the rest suffering non-serious injuries, including one child.
During a media briefing Thursday morning, authorities said the bus — operated by Tribal Sun Bus Co. in Massachusetts — had left from New York City at midnight and was making stops along the Thruway on its way to Niagara Falls.
"At this point, we find no criminality, yet," said Monroe County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Michael Fowler. "We're going to do a thorough investigation, and that is a lengthy process. There is no initial indication of drugs or alcohol being involved, so we will continue to just work with the driver and try to reconstruct the events. ... At this point, we cannot give you a cause as to why. We still have a lot of work to do with that."
No other vehicles were involved in the crash. The bus driver was injured in the crash but not critically. The number of hours the driver had been at the wheel is currently one of the issues under investigation
Tribal Sun has six reported crashes on record, according to reports from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Two of those resulted in injury, and one was fatal.
The fatal crash occurred in 2012 outside of the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut. The driver, 38-year-old Lin Qi Si, was later charged with negligent homicide in the death of 62-year-old pedestrian Pui Li Yi.
As of its most recent inspection in October, Tribal Sun has amassed 37 violations. Its most recent violation, in September, was due to a driver driving beyond the 10-hour limit placed on a passenger vehicle. Another violation from September found a driver was operating a vehicle while "ill or fatigued."
The company currently has no critical violations or investigations for hours of compliance. The FMCSA currently places Tribal Sun in the 76th percentile for on-road performance. While the agency indicates the company may require further monitoring, a transport company qualifies for intervention when it falls below the 50th percentile.
"We don't believe there's any criminality involved, but that's the kind of investigation we do when we are absolutely not going to leave any stone unturned," Fowler said.
In a statement, Gov. Kathy Hochul expressed her concern for those who were injured and said she was "deeply grateful for the heroic efforts of our first responders."
"I join the people of New York in praying for the well-being of all involved in this serious incident," she said.
People concerned about friends and family members who might have been on the bus can reach the family liaison office at (585) 753-4455.
