The driver of a tour bus that crashed on the New York State Thruway last summer, killing five people and injuring dozens more, has pleaded guilty in Genesee County Court.
Bin Shao, 56, of New York City, admitted Monday to five counts of criminally negligent homicide in connection with the Aug. 22, 2025, crash on Interstate 90 in the Town of Pembroke.
According to investigators, the bus was returning last August 22 from Niagara Falls to New York City with 54 people on board, including Shao, when it overturned on the Thruway.
Police said Shao told investigators that a water bottle rolled beneath the brake pedal, preventing him from braking. He said he reached down to move the bottle and lost control of the bus, causing it to overturn.
The crash killed five people and injured dozens of passengers.
Shao is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 9. Under the plea agreement, he faces a minimum sentence of 15 months and a maximum of four years in state prison.
