DRYDEN, NY (CortacaToday) – One person has died, and another is recovering after a bus crash in Dryden.

On Wednesday, October 9, 2024, around 2:36 p.m., authorities responded to West Lake Road for a report of a First Transit Inc. bus that struck a tree.

Arriving deputies from the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office found the bus operator and five passengers inside. The driver was airlifted to Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre and treated for their injuries. One passenger, 63-year-old Kevin Welch, of Cortland, was transported to Guthrie Cortland Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.

The remaining four passengers were taken to Cayuga Medical Center for evaluation. The collision is still under investigation.