NTSB investigates deadly crash

Bus-truck collision Saturday kills 6 near Massena; three other victims in hospital

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the collision Saturday of a bus and a box truck that left six people dead and three others seriously injured in Louisville, a community near the Canadian border.

The NTSB said it would carry out its safety investigation alongside the State Police and local agencies trying to determine why the devastating crash occurred.

The deaths came along Route 37 in Louisville, which is north of Potsdam and west of Massena. Police said one victim is in critical condition, and two are in serious condition. All of the victims were passengers on the express bus. Police said they responded shortly after 6 a.m. to the crash involving a 2021 Freightliner box truck and the 2013 bus.

As many as 15 people were aboard the bus. TV station WWNY in Watertown quoted officials as calling the scene “gruesome.”

Photos from the station showed banks of foot-high snow on the side of the highway. The station said there might have been reduced visibility when the accident happened. Officials told the station that the cargo truck was fully loaded.

Photos of the damaged vehicle showed that the bus appeared to be affiliated with the solar energy company LBFNY, based in central New York. The company name and its logo were visible on the bus.

James Begley, who is identified as LBFNY’S president on his Linkedin profile, told the Times Union Sunday, “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families.” He said any other comments would need to come from the State Police.

The NTSB plans to send a six-member team to the scene. The federal agency investigates plane crashes, bus crashes, railroad accidents, bridge failures and other events to determine the likely cause and to make safety recommendations if needed.

The NTSB and the State Police have had a fraught relationship in the past. There was friction between the two agencies after Schoharie County District Attorney Susan Mallery limited the federal agency’s access to the limousine involved in the Oct. 6, 2018, crash that left 20 people dead at the intersection of routes 30 and 30A.

In the bus crash, troopers said they were assisted by the St. Lawrence County Sheriff ’s Office, and multiple fire and rescue teams.

The victims were taken to Massena Memorial Hospital, Canton-potsdam Hospital and Claxton Hepburn Medical Center. The St. Lawrence County medical examiner’s office also responded to the scene.

The road was shut down for most of the day from St. Lawrence County Route 14 to Coles Creek Road, but has reopened.

The freight vehicle, which had a lone occupant, was a Penske truck rental. It was unclear whether the truck’s occupant was hurt.

Both vehicles suffered extensive damage and might have crashed head-on, based on the photos.

State Police provided few details on the cause of the accident and said they were continuing to investigate.