National team investigating fatal Louisville bus crash has left, now in early stages of writing report

Feb. 14—LOUISVILLE — The National Transportation Safety Board team investigating a Jan. 28 bus-box truck collision that killed six people has left the north country and is in the early stages of investigating the incident, according to a board spokesperson.

"The last person in the NTSB team departed the scene on Monday, Feb. 6. The investigation is in the early stages; it's expected to be completed in 12 to 24 months," Peter C. Knudson from NTSB's media relations office wrote in an email. "The NTSB is working closely with the parties to the investigation (New York State Police, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the state Department of Transportation) to fill out the factual record. Once all of the factual information is gathered, investigators will analyze the material and propose their findings to the Board."

Around 6 a.m. Jan. 28, a Penske box truck driven by Harly N. Diaz-Baez, 25, Bronx, crossed the center line on Route 37 near Coles Creek and ran head-on into a bus. The bus was owned by LBFNY Solar, Weedsport, carrying 15 workers to a solar installation on County Route 6 in the town of Oswegatchie. Officials at the time of the collision described the scene as "gruesome" and "chaotic."

The six killed were all in the bus. They are Mexican citizens in the country legally to work for LBFNY, according to the company's CEO, Jim P. Begley. They are Alejandro Vazquez Valdez, 45, Jesus Martinez Parra, 44, and Pedro Pablo Galicia Ignacio, 29, all of Puebla, Mexico; Abel De Jesus Lopez Lopez, 39, and Jonatan Hernadez Gomez, 25, of Chiapas, Mexico; and Jose De Jesus Aguirre Tronco, 35, of Vigencia, Mexico.

Mr. Begley described the deceased as hard workers who sent money home to support their families. He said they had worked for him for at least six months.

Christopher Valiro-Torres, 36, of Venezuela. was driving the truck, carrying auto parts to Blevins Seaway Motors in Massena.

St. Lawrence County coroner James M. Sienkiewycz said that he, the state police Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Chad W. Green, owner of Donaldson Funeral Home in Massena, worked to confirm the identity of those who had died.

Mr. Sienkiewycz has ruled that all six people killed in the crash died from accidental blunt-force trauma. Mr. Sienkiewycz said that a makeshift morgue was established to give St. Lawrence County medical examiner Dr. Scott LaPoint the ability to examine each individual.

"St. Lawrence County hasn't seen a tragic accident like this as far back as I can remember," said St. Lawrence County Emergency Services director Matthew R. Denner Sr. "Everyone did well on-scene. We had a great response from the agencies involved."

The county employed its Mass Casualty Incident plan, which lays out steps to respond to situations involving significant injuries or deaths. Mr. Denner said the incident required coordination between many EMS agencies and hospitals because of the number of people involved.

Multiple fire and rescue teams were called, including Louisville, Waddington, Norfolk, Madrid, Massena and Seaway Valley, according to state police.

When asked about LBFNY's safety record, Mr. Begley referred a reporter to his LinkedIn account, where he wrote that he is "proud to lead crews which have worked over 500,000 man hours with out (sic) a lost time accident."

He also wouldn't comment on the size of the LBFNY bus fleet, citing an ongoing Department of Transportation investigation.

Mr. Begley would not name the company for whom LBFNY is working at the Oswegatchie facility. He did say it's one of about 10 ongoing projects they're doing, all in New York. When asked if LBFNY seeks employees solely from Mexico or if they also look elsewhere, Mr. Begley replied, "we hire whoever is the best available employee at that time."

LBFNY is registered with the New York Department of State as a domestic limited liability company. Public records show it was first registered on April 9, 2021, in Cayuga County. The address listed is P.O. Box 64 in Cato. The filing has no information listed for a CEO's name and address, the principal executive office address, the registered agent name and address, or the primary location name and address.

A Times reporter went to the County Route 6 site earlier this month and saw there were about a half dozen workers out in the field with two excavators going. There were also about a half dozen pickup trucks. Mr. Begley said they don't work for LBFNY. He said that he's pausing the company's operations "to celebrate the lives of our co-workers." A memorial service for the six people killed in the crash was held the week of the crash at St. Joseph's Church in Weedsport.

There was no signage at the Oswegatchie solar farm indicating for whom it's being built. There is another smaller solar farm across the road, with activity going on there that week. It also had no signage. Both installations appeared to be still under construction.

Mr. Begley said LBFNY workers have worked on three solar farms in St. Lawrence County: at 68 and 82 Brady Road in Madrid, and at 1020 Chipman Road in the town of Waddington. LBFNY is a contractor that worked on the three sites for Nexamp.

David M. Fisher, who lives across from the 68 Brady Road installation, said he saw a bus there regularly last winter, but he hasn't seen one since. He said the bus last winter would drop people off in the early morning, pick them up around noon, and bring them back.

He says he saw the workers "digging into the winter ground, when it was frozen, and trying to install the frameworks."

Mr. Fisher, whose nickname is "Jersey Dave," is not the David M. Fisher in Madrid who is the New York Farm Bureau president.

Ted Ritzco, who lives near the 1020 Chipman Road Nexamp solar facility in Waddington, said he hasn't noticed any LBFNY buses there. He said earlier this month that he's seen vehicles recently, "somebody down there doing something." He added that the panels appeared to have been installed by spring last year.

Neighbors near the 82 Brady Road installation said it was built about a year ago, and they've seen workers there recently, usually during the day.