A tour bus was involved in a tragic accident last week when it encountered a load of steel pipes that had spilled onto the highway when the truck that was carrying them jackknifed. Four people were killed and dozens were injured in the incident.
The crash took place on Interstate 10 in California close to the state’s border with Arizona. The road forms the main link between Southern California and Arizona. The incident occurred at approximately 2:00 in the morning, in the midst of a dark stretch of highway in the desert. The big rig was carrying the pipes on its flat bed, and apparently had attempted to pass a slower vehicle that was driving ahead of it. When it tried to maneuver around the vehicle it struck the center divider, causing its load to spill onto the highway in both the eastbound and westbound directions, into the path of oncoming traffic. Some of the pipes were as long as fifty feet. The bus driver was unable to avoid the pipes in the road and struck them, which sent it rolling off of the freeway shoulder and down an embankment, where it overturned. Two other vehicles also collided with the pipes, including a Chevrolet Suburban that was heavily damaged.
The bus was operated by El Paso-Los Angeles Limousine Express, and was travelling to Los Angele from El Paso, Texas. It was approximately three quarters through its route and had just stopped in Phoenix to switch drivers. Authorities have indicated that there were 33 passengers onboard, including the mother of a 12-day old baby who was nursing her infant at the time of the incident. Ana Perez says that the two passengers seated next to her died in the crash. “The driver was trying to avoid it, but it was too late,” she said in an interview.
According to Jerry Rosenbaum, president of the bus company, the driver was “a little banged up.” He continued, “No one has made any allegations about the bus’ maintenance or the bus driver’s actions being contributing factors of this accident.” The company has been operating along the route since 1966 and has a safety, driving and inspection record that places it in the top third of its class within its industry. “Our number one concern is the passengers and taking care of their immediate needs,” Rosenbaum said. The road was closed in both directions for several hours as a result of the accident.