New York Tour Bus Crash: Mechanical Failure or Impaired Driver? What Police Know So Far

A tour bus returning from Niagara Falls to New York City overturned on Interstate 90 near Pembroke in upstate New York, killing five people and leaving dozens more injured. It was one of the deadliest road incidents in the region in recent years and has prompted a major state and federal investigation.

Police have already ruled out both mechanical failure and driver impairment. Attention is now turning to whether distraction or human error may have played a role in the tragedy.

Timeline of the Crash

On the afternoon of 22 August 2025, an M&Y Tour Inc. bus carrying 54 people veered off the eastbound lanes of I-90. Passengers ranged in age from one to 74. The vehicle entered the central median, overcorrected, and flipped into a ditch at around 12:30pm near Pembroke, approximately 25 miles east of Buffalo, according to the New York Post.

Emergency services responded immediately, with multiple medical helicopters airlifting the injured to regional hospitals. Erie County Medical Center treated 24 passengers, while Kaleida Health received a further 20. Injuries included broken bones, head trauma and internal bleeding. The influx was described by local hospitals as one of the largest mass-casualty events handled in years.

Police confirmed that between four and six people were killed, all of them adults.

Police Findings So Far

New York State Police have said they have ruled out mechanical failure as a cause of the crash. There were also no signs of driver impairment or intoxication. Officers reported that the driver was sober, cooperative and not currently facing any criminal charges, according to AP News.

Investigators believe the most likely explanation is that the driver was momentarily distracted, which led to a loss of control, an abrupt correction and the eventual rollover into the ditch. This remains a working theory, and police have stressed that the investigation is not yet complete.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has dispatched a specialist team to conduct a comprehensive safety investigation. The New York State Police Reconstruction Unit, Forensic Identification Unit and Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit are also working to piece together the sequence of events leading up to the crash.

Investigators Probe Distraction and Seatbelts

While mechanical defects and intoxication have been ruled out, investigators have yet to confirm what distracted the driver. Speaking at a press briefing, a New York State Police spokesperson said they are exploring whether the driver looked away from the road, spoke with passengers or simply lapsed in concentration. Seatbelt compliance is another concern, as many passengers were ejected despite a 2023 law requiring seatbelts on newer coaches. It remains unclear whether the M&Y Tour bus met those standards or if restraints were in use.

Investigators are also considering environmental factors, including weather, road surface and highway design. They are reviewing maintenance logs, driver records and eyewitness accounts, while dashcam footage may provide crucial evidence of what happened in the moments before the crash.

As the NTSB and State Police continue their work, the priority is to establish the facts and prevent speculation. The families of those killed and injured now await answers from a detailed inquiry that may take months to conclude.