Xie Hongzhuo, Jian Mingli Obituary, Death – New York State Police have released the identities of the five people who tragically lost their lives in a devastating tour bus crash on Interstate 90 near Pembroke. The victims, whose ages ranged from 22 to 65, represented three different countries, highlighting the diverse group of passengers traveling on the bus at the time of the accident.
Those killed were identified as Shankar Kumar Jha, 65, of Madhu Bani, India; Pinki Changrani, 60, of East Brunswick, New Jersey; Xie Hongzhuo, 22, a Columbia University student from Beijing, China; Zhang Xiaolan, 55, of Jersey City, New Jersey; and Jian Mingli, 56, also of Jersey City, New Jersey.
Authorities also identified the bus driver as 55-year-old Bin Shao of Flushing, New York. According to investigators, Shao showed no signs of impairment at the time of the crash, and preliminary examinations have ruled out mechanical failure as a factor. The precise cause of the crash remains under investigation.
The accident occurred Friday afternoon as the tour bus, carrying 54 passengers, was en route from Staten Island to Niagara Falls. State police said the bus veered into the median and then suddenly corrected course. That abrupt maneuver caused the bus to roll off the highway into an embankment. The violent crash left several passengers ejected from the vehicle and others trapped inside.
Emergency response was immediate and extensive. Mercy flight helicopters and multiple ambulances rushed victims to hospitals across the region, including Erie County Medical Center, Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital, Oshei Children’s Hospital, United Memorial Medical Center in Batavia, and Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester.
Among the injured were three children, all taken to Oshei Children’s Hospital. One child remained in serious condition. Early reports initially suggested that a child had died in the crash, but Major Andre Ray, Commander of New York State Police Troop T, later clarified that those reports were incorrect.
The passengers aboard the bus ranged in age from just one year old to 74 years old. Authorities noted that many of them were from India, China, and the Philippines, underscoring the international nature of the tour group.
The bus was operated by M&Y Tour, Inc. As the investigation continues, authorities are focusing on how the vehicle lost control so suddenly, leading to the catastrophic outcome.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, the Red Cross Family Assistance Center, which had been set up at the Amherst Senior Center to provide support for victims’ families, has since closed. This decision came after all passengers and victims were accounted for and identified.
The accident has left multiple families grieving across different parts of the world. As authorities work to determine the exact cause of the crash, the focus also remains on the survivors—many of whom face long recoveries, both physically and emotionally, from the traumatic event.
This incident marks one of the most serious tour bus crashes in recent years in New York, drawing attention to passenger safety and the risks associated with long-distance bus travel.
