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UPDATED: At least 8 killed, 35 injured in Williams bus crash
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Williams bus crash
10 people died and 35 were injured when a bus overturned near Williams.
A tour bus lies in a water-filled ditch after crashing Sunday on a rural road near Williams, about 100 miles south of Redding. At least 10 people died and several were injured in the wreck. Steve Yeater / Associated Press View gallery »
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WILLIAMS — A casino-bound charter bus with an invalid license plate drifted off the road and then swerved back before tumbling into a ditch and ejecting passengers as it rolled, police said. Eight people were killed and dozens injured.
The bus flipped over at about 6:10 p.m. Sunday on a rural road, throwing some passengers and crushing others before it landed right-side up, California Highway Patrol spokesman Patrick Landreth said.
Authorities are investigating whether prescription or nonprescription drugs were a factor, said CHP spokesman Robert Kays. The driver was arrested.
“We believe he was driving under the influence of something that’s why we placed him under arrest,” Kays said.
The bus, which left from Sacramento, crashed 10 miles short of its destination, the Colusa Casino Resort. Nobody from the bus was identified; many of the passengers were Laotian.
“It looks like they were going up to the casino to have a good time,” CHP Commander Fran Clader said Monday. “Unfortunately, it resulted in tragedy.”
A CHP dispatcher and coroner’s office said Monday the number of dead is eight, not 10 as authorities originally reported. It’s estimated that about 35 others were injured, many of them critically.
The driver had a valid commercial driver’s license but the CHP is looking into whether he had the proper permits to drive a bus in California.
Firefighters used flashlights and infrared sensors to search the tall grass near the overturned bus Sunday night for victims. The mud-covered bus was pulled from the ditch and was on a large tow truck.
Just before the accident, the bus veered off the two-lane road for about half a mile before the driver “overcorrected” and swerved back, Landreth said.
“The roof was collapsed down, the windows were broken out, and the bus was not only rolled over onto its side, it rolled completely over,” Landreth said. “It was facing the opposite direction and it was on its wheels.”
Authorities had not determined the name of the charter company early Monday morning.
The bus had “Greyhound” marked on its side, but a Greyhound official said it was no longer operated by the company.
“It is not our bus. We sold it more than two years ago,” said Kim Plaskett, the Greyhound spokeswoman. “It is an old bus.”
Kays said the bus had a Texas license plate that was “not valid.” He said other registration serial numbers also came up invalid.
“There are still several pieces of this puzzle that’s missing,” Kays said. “We will find out who owns the bus.”
CHP dispatcher Terry Troth said no other cars appeared to be involved in the crash.
Troth said he did not know the extent of the injuries. He said emergency responders were having trouble communicating with the passengers because many spoke Lao.
Clader said helicopters took victims to several area hospitals.
The crash took place in an area of rice fields and orchards a few miles east of Interstate 5 just north of Williams.
Laura Hennum, a spokeswoman for Enloe Medical Center, said 11 victims were at the hospital Monday morning. Four were in critical condition, one was in serious condition and six in fair condition.
She said one of the biggest challenges for the hospital was helping family members find one another, as passengers were taken to several hospitals.
“We were getting a huge volume of calls from distressed family members trying to find their loved ones,” she said.
Nurses at Mercy Medical Center in Redding and St. Elizabeth Community Hospital in Red Bluff said Sunday night that none of the patients were transported to their hospitals and none were expected to be.
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Associated Press writer Sofia Mannos contributed to this report from Washington, D.C.
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Posted by jacks66vette on October 5, 2008 at 8:45 p.m.
this happened 2.5 hours ago and just now hitting the web paper...good reporting RS
Posted by fuegoman on October 5, 2008 at 8:47 p.m.
knvn says at least 5 people were killed in this crash...
Posted by HornetFan on October 5, 2008 at 8:54 p.m.
Come on jacksvette....it is also on Channel 3 in Sacramento RIGHT NOW...give the R-S a break.
By the way, the LiveCopter3 pilot is saying there are more fatalities then that...very scary looking crash. Thoughts and prayers are with these people. They are saying it was a Greyhound bus that was chartered in Sacramento and was taking people to the Colusa Casino.
Posted by justme on October 5, 2008 at 9:08 p.m.
First I heard of it was scanner report of an abulance going to the scene from here to Colusa for an MCI, and then next heard a Red Bluff dispatcher call for station coverage for the Colusa incident, and that was around 8:30 tonight.
I am wondering why they were so long in asking for help, or possibly if the incident had just happened and not two plus hours ago as is being reported here and elsewhere.
Posted by xanadu on October 5, 2008 at 9:43 p.m.
in response to jacks66vette
Instead of moaning and complaining, why don't you get a scanner like the others and report the details yourself. Personally I think you need to get a life if not having all the details when it happens is really bothering you. There are other things to do in this world than to be up to the second in breaking news.
Posted by Pickko_S on October 5, 2008 at 10:23 p.m.
I am surprised there are not more of these. Sometimes these tour buses pass as such a high, irresponsible rate of speed it is criminal! Several times while on our way from Redding to Dillard's Department Store in Stockton, my daughter and I have almost been sideswiped by one of these speeding death traps.
Please Arnold - CRACK DOWN ON BUS SPEED!
Sue
Redding - our employers are looking for applicants
Posted by Wil2008 on October 5, 2008 at 10:29 p.m.
LOL... was that someone defending the Record SearchLight's snail-like-pace at reporting.. Funny
Posted by xanadu on October 5, 2008 at 10:40 p.m.
in response to Wil2008
So Wil, what do you do to help spread the news? Unless you have something constructive to say that will help the RS, complaining does NOTHING to help except fill the empty blogs with more irrelevent dialogue. They do the best they can if its not good enough, why don't you get your news from Chico or Red Bluff and see if its any better.
And I don't work for the RS.
Posted by foxpittriver on October 5, 2008 at 11:12 p.m.
It seems like so many people only complain here about the reporting. If everyone hates it so bad why even come here...
I guess some people only want to be negative about anything and everything (as evidenced by the crying that seems to be the norm anymore)...
Regardless whether or not the reporting is a snail like pace I appreciate the website.
Posted by sickofit on October 5, 2008 at 11:27 p.m.
Instead of his name being jacks66vette, I would think that jackass would be more appropriate.
Posted by sickofit on October 5, 2008 at 11:29 p.m.
Hey Wil, and a more timely report would benefit you how?
Posted by sickofit on October 5, 2008 at 11:49 p.m.
in response to JustJosh
Obviously you aren't reading the posts if you think I am the crybaby. Go back to your sandbox.
Posted by Cucina_Goddess on October 5, 2008 at 11:56 p.m.
Wow, FoxNews.com actually has it on their "front page" with a pic. How sad, God be with them all.
Posted by sickofit on October 6, 2008 at 12:01 a.m.
Fife? Buckless, or buckleless toolbelt? What you smoking?
Posted by sickofit on October 6, 2008 at 12:07 a.m.
in response to JustJosh
"Newsboy" to the rescue. I simply cannot thank you enough.
Posted by crazzynorcalchick on October 12, 2008 at 4:28 p.m.
"Just before the accident, the bus veered off the two-lane road for about half a mile before the driver “overcorrected”" A half of a mile is a long time, why did it take him that long?
“It is not our bus. We sold it more than two years ago,” said Kim Plaskett, the Greyhound spokeswoman." Then why didn't Greyhound take off the stickers????
"Nobody from the bus was identified; many of the passengers were Laotian." OK so emmigrents came and got a bus thinking they would get away with it? If they were getting ready to get on the bus wouldn't you think they would see the greyhound sticker and think something? I would wonder myself!!!! Hope all the people are ok
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