A bus carrying 57 people rolled over Saturday afternoon on the New York State Thruway near Weedsport, injuring the driver and passengers and causing significant delays on the thoroughfare.Â
The New York State Police said troopers responded to the crash at 12:41 p.m. in the town of Brutus. The bus, which is owned by Poughkeepsie-based JTR Transportation, departed the Poughkeepsie area early Saturday and was heading to Niagara Falls. It was traveling westbound on Interstate 90 when it went off the road and rolled over onto the shoulder about a mile west of exit 40.Â
The driver, Fermin P. Vasquez, 66, of Wingdale, and 56 passengers were injured. State police said the injuries range from minor to serious.Â
Vasquez is among approximately 26 people who were transported to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse. Injured passengers were also sent to Auburn Community Hospital and Crouse Hospital in Syracuse.Â
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Matthew Chadderdon, a spokesman for Auburn Community Hospital, confirmed the hospital received 27 passengers who were hurt in the crash. The patients at Auburn hospital have a mix of minor and serious injuries, he said.Â
The hospital mobilized its incident command system to respond to the bus crash. The Red Cross and the hospital's social workers are helping passengers who need food, a place to stay, or to contact their families.Â
"All of that was coordinated really well," Chadderdon said.Â
There was a massive emergency response to the crash. Multiple ambulance services, fire departments and air ambulances arrived at the scene to render aid and transport victims to area hospitals.Â
Both westbound lanes were closed due to the crash. Traffic was diverted off exit 40 and the Thruway Authority advised motorists to use alternate routes.Â
One westbound lane reopened after more than an hour. By 6:30 p.m., both lanes were open. But the Thruway announced at 8:24 p.m. that the right lane on I-90 between exits 39 and 41 is closed due to "road maintenance operations."Â
The cause of the crash is unknown. The state police, which is investigating the crash, asked anyone who may have witnessed the crash to contact Investigator Brad Holcomb at (315) 539-3530.Â
Gallery: Tour bus rolls over near Weedsport exit of NY Thruway

A tour bus rolled over while traveling westbound on the state Thruway near Weedsport Aug. 14.

New York State Police released this photo from the bus rollover crash near the Weedsport exit of the New York State Thruway on Saturday.

A bus carrying 57 people rolled over off the Thruway near Weedsport on Saturday.Â

One westbound lane of the state Thruway was opened but traffic was backed up about 8 miles as of 5 p.m. Saturday.

In this screen shot captured from a Thruway traffic camera, emergency crews respond to a bus crash near the Weedsport Thruway exit.Â

A Thruway traffic camera shows the response to a bus crash on Interstate 90 near Weedsport.Â
Politics reporter Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding.