Tour bus driver pleads guilty following fatal crash on New York State Thruway

Batavia, N.Y. — The man who was behind the wheel of a tour bus that crashed on the New York State Thruway last summer, killing five people and injuring dozens of others, accepted a plea offer Monday in Genesee County Court. Police said the bus was returning from Niagara Falls to New York City with 54 people on board, including the driver, Bin Shao, when he became distracted and the bus overturned Aug. 22 on Interstate 90 in Pembroke. Shao told investigators a water bottle rolled up under the brake pedal, preventing him from using it. After reaching down to move the bottle, he lost control of the bus. BACKGROUND: Bus driver blamed water bottle for fatal tour bus on NYS Thruway, deposition says | Tour bus driver charged following fatal crash on New York State Thruway Shao, now 56, of New York City pleaded guilty Monday to five counts of criminally negligent homicide. He was visibly shaken during the proceedings, at times hanging his head. "He's not well, to be honest with you," defense attorney David Lynch said. "He is extraordinarily distraught over this, not only being in prison, which is far from where he was before this, but also he's carrying a tremendous amount of guilt and feeling terrible about what happened." Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 9, with Shao facing a minimum of 15 months and a maximum of four years in state prison. "Nothing will bring back their loved ones," District Attorney Kevin Finnell said. "But this individual taking responsibility and suffering a consequence when he comes back for sentencing should bring them some closure, and I hope it does."