The driver of a deadly tour bus crash on the New York State Thruway last summer allegedly told police a water bottle became stuck under the brake pedal moments before the bus crashed and killed five passengers.
Bin Shao said he discovered the water bottle when he tried to slow down as the bus approached traffic, according to a police deposition first reported by 13WHAM. The driver told police he reached down to remove it and swerved to avoid hitting another car when the bus went off the road and rolled several times.
“I believe this was caused based on the water bottle preventing me from stopping,” the deposition reads.
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The bus, operated by Staten Island-based M&Y Tours, was returning to New York City from a sightseeing trip to Niagara Falls on Aug. 22, 2025. There were 54 people on board when it crashed near Pembroke, Genesee County; dozens were injured and five people were killed. Many passengers were not wearing seat belts, and several were ejected when the bus overturned…