Photo: KAZUHIRO NOGI / AFP / Getty Images
A Queens bus driver has been arrested and charged with multiple felonies in connection with a deadly tour bus crash that killed five passengers in upstate New York last summer.
Bin Shao, 56, of Flushing, New York, was arrested on Wednesday and charged with five counts of second-degree manslaughter and five counts of criminally negligent homicide, according to New York State Police.
The charges stem from an August 22, 2025 crash on the New York State Thruway in Pembroke, about 30 miles east of Buffalo. Investigators determined that Shao was driving a 2005 Van Hool tour bus owned by Staten Island-based M&Y Tour Inc. when she veered into the median and then "abruptly corrected," causing the bus to overturn and roll down an embankment.
Five passengers were pronounced dead at the scene, including three New Jersey residents: Pinki Changrani, 60, of East Brunswick; and Zhang Xiaolan, 55, and Jian Mingli, 56, both of Jersey City. The other victims were Shankar Kumar Jha, 65, of India, and Xie Hongzhuo, 22, a Columbia University student from China.
The bus was traveling from Niagara Falls to New York City with 54 occupants including Shao. Forty-nine passengers were injured in the crash, with many being ejected or trapped in the wreckage. Approximately 319 first responders assisted at the scene.
The Genesee County District Attorney's Office said the charges against Shao stem from her "actions" on the day of the crash, though officials declined to provide specific details. Authorities noted that Shao showed no signs of impairment and no preliminary mechanical failure was found on the bus.
Shao was arraigned on Friday on a sealed indictment and remanded to the Genesee County Jail on $100,000 cash bail, $200,000 bond, or a $400,000 partially secured bond. She pleaded not guilty to all charges.
If convicted, Shao faces up to 15 years in prison. The case remains pending in Genesee County.
Photo Credit: Getty Images