Bus Crash Kills 13 On Bronx-Westchester Border
The driver, who survived, told police he lost control after being clipped by a tractor trailer at 5:35 a.m. Police began a hunt for the truck, which did not stop after the crash, New York Police Department spokesman Paul Browne said.
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The wreck left a scene of carnage and closed the southbound side of Interstate-95 for hours while emergency workers attended to critically injured survivors and removed bodies. Many of the injuries were the result of severe head trauma.
“The bus turned on its side, and as a result the whole of the stanchion cut he bus in half, causing everyone on the bus to be injured—32 people on the bus,” Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said.
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Traffic Advisory Update: (1:15pm) All Lanes Blocked on I-95 Southbound For 4 To 6 More Hours.
Kelly said the authorities have learned some of the numbers of the license plate of the tractor trailer and are attempting to location the trailer and its driver.
The bus, operated by the charter company World Wide Tours, was headed to Manhattan’s Chinatown neighborhood carrying a full load of passengers returning from the Mohegan Sun casino in Uncasville, Conn.
In response to the accident, the National Transportation Safety Board has launched an investigation team to look into the crash. State police, however, will be leading the investigation and the safety board will advise.
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According to the driver, the bus was struck from behind as it entered the city around 5:30 a.m., Browne said. The bus began swerving, toppled and crashed into the support post for a highway sign indicating the exit for the Hutchinson Parkway.
The pole entered through the front window, then sheared the bus from front to back along the window line, cutting like a knife through the seating area and peeling the roof off all the way to the back tires.
World Wide Travels released a statement on Saturday afternoon, declaring its full cooperation in the investigation and extended its sympathies to the families of those who were killed in the accident.
“We are a family owned company and realize words cannot begin to express our sorrow to the families of those who lost their lives or were injured in this tragic accident. Our thoughts and prayers are with them,” the release stated.
Police and fire officials say the bus was carrying at least 31 passengers, ranging from ages 20 to 50. The bus had two stops in Lower Manhattan: 30 Bowery and the Allen/Delancey intersection.
In addition to the fatalities, eight passengers were in critical condition and 11 were in serious condition, a Fire Department spokesman said. A total of 19 were being treated at area hospitals.
LISTEN: WCBS 880′s Sean Adams describes the deadly accident
Traffic was also closed on the northbound side of the highway after the crash, but was moving again by mid-morning.
Limo driver Homer Martinez, 56, of Danbury, Conn. happened on the scene just moments after the wreck and saw other drivers sprinting from their cars to see if they could assist the injured. He said they were horrified by what they found.
“People were saying, ‘Oh my God. Oh my God,’ holding their hands on their heads,” Martinez said. “I saw people telling other people not to go there, ‘You don’t want to see this.”‘
More than 60 firefighters and medics were on the scene quickly, running to the vehicle with bags and stretchers, he said.
“I see a lot of accidents. I’ve even seen accidents happen. But I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Martinez.
Fourteen of the hurt passengers were being treated at Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx. A hospital spokeswoman, Barbara DeIorio, said some of the injuries were serious, but she had no immediate information on how many were gravely hurt. Another five patients were taken to St. Barnabas Hospital.
For family members seeking more information on the crash, the City asks that the public calls 311.
(TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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