Tour Bus Crash Shuts Down New York Highway

A tour bus crash in upstate New York on Thursday prompted a widespread rescue operation and closure of a major highway.
On Thursday morning, officials in New York reported that police were responding to a crash on Interstate 490 in Rochester, New York, that was caused after a bus overturned.
According to the New York State Police Department, law enforcement officials were assisting the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office on their investigation into the crash.
Police said that the crash occurred “on Interstate 490 westbound in the town of Chili involving an overturned tour bus.”
“Interstate 490 westbound is closed at Union Street,” the New York State Police said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) also said on X that they were responding to the crash.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul issued a statement on the crash, which said that “to allow first responders to do their jobs, the I-490 is closed in both directions between exits 4 and 3, and drivers are encouraged to find alternate routes.”
“I join the people of New York in praying for the well-being of all involved in this serious incident and am deeply grateful for the heroic efforts of our first responders,” the Democratic governor added.
According to the CBS-affiliated station WIVB-TV in Buffalo, New York, several people were hospitalized following the crash, including one individual believed to be in critical condition.
Officials with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office told WIVB-TV that officers who arrived on the scene discovered several people trapped in the turned-over bus and at least 16 ambulances responded to the incident.
“It was surreal, it was things you trained for, but something you don’t expect to see in real life,” Monroe County Sheriff Todd Baxter said, the local news outlet reported.
The sheriff’s office is treating the crash as a criminal investigation, while noting that the driver of the bus is actively cooperating with police, WIVB-TV reported.
A number of posts on social media captured the large police presence following the crash and the closure of the highway in New York.
“MAJOR POLICE PRESENCE ON 490: A crash involving a tour bus has shut down 490 near Union Street,” Oran Spitzer of WIVB-TV wrote in a post. “Drivers are being asked to avoid 490 East and Westbound between Churchville and Chili Center Coldwater Road.”
Christian Garzone, a reporter for 13WHAM shared another video and wrote, “as close as I can get right now to bus crash on 490.”
In a statement obtained by WIVB-TV, a spokesperson for the FlixBus company said, “We are aware of the accident near Churchville, NY. Our team is actively working with the bus operator to understand the details and provide necessary assistance to passengers.”
“Please note that FlixBus is not a bus operator; all schedules are operated by third-party bus companies. We will continue to seek updates from the bus operator and authorities as the investigation progresses. We have no additional information to share at this time,” the statement added.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.