Zhang Xiaolan,Pinki Changrani Obituary, Death; – The New York State Police have disclosed the identities of the five individuals who lost their lives in the bus accident that occurred on the New York State Thruway on Friday, along with the name of the bus driver.

The deceased include Shankar Kumar Jha, 65, from Madhu Bani, India; Pinki Changrani, 60, from East Brunswick, NJ; Xie Hongzhuo, 22, a Columbia University student from Beijing, China; Zhang Xiaolan, 55, from Jersey City, NJ; and Jian Mingli, 56, also from Jersey City, NJ.

The bus was operated by Bin Shao, 55, from Flushing, NY, who reportedly showed no signs of impairment, as stated by state police.

Here is the latest update.

At approximately 12:22 p.m. on Friday, August 22, just before Exit 48A on the Thruway, the driver of a 2005 Van Wool Bus and Coach tour bus, owned by M&Y Tour, Inc. from Staten Island, is believed to have become distracted, resulting in a loss of control of the vehicle. The bus exited the roadway and rolled over, according to state police.

The bus was en route eastbound on the I-90 from Niagara Falls to New York City.

At the time of the incident, there were a total of 54 individuals on board the bus, comprising 52 passengers and two employees of the tour bus company. The ages of the bus occupants ranged from 1 to 74 years, and they hailed from various countries, including the U.S., China, India, the Philippines, and the Middle East.

“First and foremost, our thoughts, prayers, and hearts go out to those involved, their friends, and their family,” stated New York State Police Troop T Major Andre Ray during a press conference held near the crash site on Friday evening.

The investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing; however, mechanical failure and operator impairment or intoxication have been excluded as factors, and no charges have been filed at this time.

According to an ECMC spokesperson, ten of the 24 patients who were transported to ECMC following the bus crash near Pembroke were discharged last night.

Currently, three of the four patients who were taken to the operating room and the Trauma Intensive Care Unit are reported to be stable, while one is in critical condition. All four patients have been admitted to the hospital.

Eleven of the 13 patients treated at Millard Fillm