Tour bus crash sends 28 to hospital

A bus carrying tourists from Niagara Falls, N.Y., to Newark, N.J., crashed into a gully along Interstate 81 in New York, injuring 28 people, police said. Authorities said weather likely was a factor in the accident Wednesday in which the bus veered into a gully and landed on its roof, WBNG-TV, Binghamton, N.Y., reported Thursday. "At the time of the accident, there was a heavy downpour right here, which contributed to it," said New York State Police Sgt. Todd Burdick. However, officials said a cause hadn't been determined. Many of the passengers -- tourists from Poland -- freed themselves from the wreckage but rescue crews helped free one woman pinned beneath the vehicle, Burdick said. "They had to actually dig the dirt underneath the bus to free the lady," Burdick said. "It was a combination of efforts from the four fire departments, they did an excellent job," said Brett Chellis, Broome County emergency management director. Interstate 81 South near the Whitney Point exit was closed for several hours after the crash. State police said the bus was licensed to Princeton Holdings of Morrisville, Pa.