Several dead in tour bus crash in California
Posted Oct 23, 2016 11:57 am.
Last Updated Oct 23, 2016 3:01 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
PALM SPRINGS, California – The California Highway Patrol says at least 13 people have died after a tour bus and a semi-truck crashed on a freeway near Palm Springs.
Firefighters used ladders into the bus’ windows to pull out victims. At least 25 passengers have been taken to area hospitals, with several of them in critical condition.
The accident happened around 7:30 a.m. Sunday on Interstate 10 in Desert Hot Springs.
Photos online show the front of the passenger bus pushed into the semi-truck’s trailer.
The National Transportation Safety Board is sending a team to investigate.
Authorities say the driver of the tour bus was one of the owners of the company.
California Highway Patrol Officer Stephanie Hamilton tells the Desert Sun newspaper in Palm Springs that the driver was an owner of USA Holiday, based near Los Angeles. Authorities say the bus may have been coming from a casino.
Numbers are fluid and information is still coming it. We will keep you updated as the situation develops.
