VERONA -- State Police are continuing to investigate a hit-and-run on the Thruway early Sunday morning that left one man dead.
Troopers tell CNY Central that a limousine bus was traveling east on Interstate 90 at about 2:30 Sunday morning when 29-year-old Brian Bauer from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania opened the emergency exit in the back and fell out on the road. Police say after Bauer fell out, he was hit by a driver who then took off.
The bus is owned and operated by the Turning Stone Casino and was taking a group back to Syracuse after a visit to the Lava nightclub.
"There were fifteen people on that bus and he did mention to one he thought maybe it was a bathroom door," said Trooper Jack Keller from the New York State Police.
Keller said that at least one other car also stopped and left before police arrived. Troopers have identified the driver and passengers of that vehicle, and say they have developed another vehicle of interest. Police say a dark colored car, possibly a PT Cruiser, stopped at the scene and left prior to emergency personnel's arrival.
The police force for the Oneida Indian Nation, which owns Turning Stone Casino, is also looking into what happened. On Monday, Captain Joseph Smith said his department is working with the State Police on the investigation. Smith said it is an ongoing investigation but he believed the shuttle driver acted properly and pulled the bus over as soon as he realized the emergency exit had been opened.
Other drivers on the Thruway called Bauer's death a tragedy and a warning to others.
"It's definitely scary. It just shows how fragile life is and when something bizarre like that happens it makes you think about the value of life," said Allison Pinches.
Others hoped the driver that hit Bauer would come forward.
"You'd hope that people are instinctively good and would make choices to follow through in that kind of thing but unfortunately people don't always make those kinds of decisions," said Dan Lubine.
State Police are asking for the public's assistance in locating the vehicle that struck Bauer, as well as the second vehicle which stopped at the crash scene but left before police arrived. Anyone with any information can contact Investigator Mark Nell at 366-6000.
