Crash on New York State Thruway

Crash on New York State Thruway, At least six people were killed on Saturday when the driver of a church van with 13 adult passengers lost control and crashed in the northbound lanes of the New York State Thruway near Woodbury, N.Y., the authorities said.

Crash on New York State Thruway, Among the dead were the church’s bishop, his wife and the church’s pastor, officials said. The crash occurred shortly before 3 p.m., at Mile Marker 50.9, between Exits 16 and 17, said State Trooper Jeffrey Salatel, in the agency’s communications unit.

The circumstances of the crash were not immediately clear. Guy Hulbert, of the State Thruway Authority, said investigators were working to reconstruct the accident to determine its cause. Though initial reports indicated that a tractor-trailer might have hit the van, Mr. Hulbert said the crash was a single-vehicle accident.

Pasquale Prozzillo, the second assistant chief of the Woodbury Fire Department, who responded to the scene, said the van “blew out a rear tire” and careened out of control.