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At Least 13 Killed in Bus Crash on California Highway At Least 13 Killed in Bus Crash on California Highway
(35 minutes later)
NORTH PALM SPRINGS, Calif. — A bus traveling along a California highway here slammed into a tractor-trailer Sunday morning, killing at least 13 people and injuring dozens more, according to the California Highway Patrol. NORTH PALM SPRINGS, Calif. — A bus traveling along a California highway here slammed into a tractor-trailer on Sunday morning, killing at least 13 people and injuring dozens more, according to the California Highway Patrol.
At a news conference Sunday afternoon, Jim Abele, a chief with the California Highway Patrol, said that the tour bus was heading back to Los Angeles after a trip to a casino when it rammed into the back of the tractor-trailer rig shortly after 5 a.m. local time. The driver of the bus was among those killed, he said. At a news conference on Sunday afternoon, Jim Abele, a chief with the California Highway Patrol, said that the tour bus was heading back to Los Angeles after a trip to a casino when it rammed into the back of the tractor-trailer shortly after 5 a.m. The driver of the bus was among those killed, he said.
“The speed of the bus was so significant that when it hit the back of the big rig, the trailer itself entered 15 feet into the bus,” Mr. Abele said. “The speed of the bus was so significant that when it hit the back of the big rig, the trailer itself entered 15 feet into the bus,” Chief Abele said.
He said that the accident, which took place on I-10 close to Palm Springs, was highly unusual in the amount of people killed and injured. He said that the crash, which took place on Interstate 10 close to Palm Springs, was highly unusual in the amount of people killed and injured.
“In almost 35 years, I’ve never been to a crash where there’s been 13 confirmed fatal accidents,” he said. “So it’s tough. It’s not an easy thing.”“In almost 35 years, I’ve never been to a crash where there’s been 13 confirmed fatal accidents,” he said. “So it’s tough. It’s not an easy thing.”
Thirty-one of the bus’s 44 passengers, many of whom were asleep at the time of the accident, were transported to local hospitals. The majority of the people killed had been sitting in the front section of the bus. Mr. Abele said that the majority of the passengers were Hispanic. Thirty-one of the bus’s 44 passengers, many of whom were asleep at the time of the crash, were taken to hospitals. The majority of the people killed had been sitting in the front section of the bus. Chief Abele said that the majority of the passengers were Hispanic.
The vehicle, a 1996 MCI passenger bus was owned and operated by USA Holiday Bus, a company based in Los Angeles, Mr. Abele said. It had passed annual mechanical inspections for the last three years, including one as recent as April. The bus did not have seatbelts. The vehicle, a 1996 MCI passenger bus, was owned and operated by USA Holiday Bus, a company based in Los Angeles, Chief Abele said. It had passed annual mechanical inspections for the past three years, including one in April. The bus did not have seatbelts.
The authorities did not identify the driver or any of the passengers.The authorities did not identify the driver or any of the passengers.
Nothing was known about the driver’s condition at the time of the accident. The section of the highway where the accident took place was subject to traffic stoppages at that time of the morning, as a maintenance crew was periodically pulling power lines across the highway. Mr. Abele said at the news conference that the rig had slowed down because of the traffic breaks. Nothing was known about the driver’s condition at the time of the crash. The section of the highway where the crash occurred was subject to traffic stoppages at that time of the morning, as a maintenance crew was periodically pulling power lines across the highway. Chief Abele said at the news conference that the rig had slowed down because of the traffic breaks.
Officials said that there was no indication in the initial investigation that the bus driver had attempted to brake. Mr. Abele said that suggested the possibility that the driver had been experiencing “fatigue” or an emergency medical situation like a heart attack. Officials said that there was no indication in the initial investigation that the bus driver had attempted to brake. Chief Abele said that that suggested the possibility that the driver had been experiencing “fatigue” or an emergency medical situation like a heart attack.
The bus was en route to Los Angeles from Red Earth Casino, near the Salton Sea, Mr. Abele said. A spokeswoman at Red Earth Casino said that she could not give out any information before talking to the California Highway Patrol. The bus was en route to Los Angeles from Red Earth Casino, near the Salton Sea, Chief Abele said.
Cleanup of the accident scene continued well into Sunday afternoon. Debris littered the road and the westbound lanes of I-10 remained closed. Around 1 p.m., a flatbed truck hauled away parts of the demolished trailer. Cleanup of the crash scene continued well into Sunday afternoon. Debris littered the road, and the westbound lanes of Interstate 10 remained closed. Around 1 p.m., a flatbed truck hauled away parts of the demolished trailer.
After the accident, an entity using the Instagram handle usaholidaybus and displaying a casino-themed icon as its profile picture, made its account private. The description of the company on Instagram said that “USA Holiday has over 25 years of experience in Tourism, traveling to local casinos in Southern California.”
The Los Angeles Times reported that the company had used an Instagram post to offer a $20 fare to the Red Earth Casino from the Koreatown neighborhood in Los Angeles. Passengers would leave Koreatown at 8.30 p.m., spend four and a half hours at the casino, and return to Los Angeles County early the next morning, the Times reported.
Richard Ramhoff, a spokesman for Desert Regional Medical Center, the area’s designated trauma center, said that the hospital received 14 adult victims of the crash.Richard Ramhoff, a spokesman for Desert Regional Medical Center, the area’s designated trauma center, said that the hospital received 14 adult victims of the crash.
Five of the patients received by Desert Regional were in critical condition, Mr. Ramhoff said in a statement. Three were in serious condition and six had minor injuries. Five of the patients received by Desert Regional were in critical condition, three were in serious condition and six had minor injuries, Mr. Ramhoff said in a statement.
Mr. Ramhoff said it was the largest number of victims he had seen in his six years working at the hospital. Patients with less serious injuries were sent to other hospitals. Lee Rice, a spokeswoman at Eisenhower Medical Center, confirmed that the hospital had received 11 adult victims who had suffered minor injuries in the crash. The Desert Sun reported that JFK Medical Center in Indio, Calif., received a five patients, all of them with minor injuries.
Patients with less serious injuries were sent to other area hospitals. Chief Abele gave no significant update on the condition of any of those injured at his afternoon news conference.
Lee Rice, a spokeswoman at Eisenhower Medical Center, confirmed that the hospital had received 11 adult victims who had suffered minor injuries in the crash. The Desert Sun reported that JFK Medical Center in Indio, Calif., received an additional five patients, all of them with minor injuries.
Mr. Abele gave no significant update on the condition of any of those injured at his afternoon news conference.
“By the grace of God, nobody else will pass away,” he said.“By the grace of God, nobody else will pass away,” he said.