At least eight people have been killed in a horrific bus crash in California, after a day trip of skiing turned into tragedy for a group of Mexican tourists.
On Sunday night, a tour bus carrying travellers from Tijuana, Mexico crashed into a pick up truck after the driver appeared to lose control. The bus was travelling on a winding, mountainous road in Southern California when it suddenly careened into the oncoming lane, striking into a car. The bus then flipped onto its roof and smashed into a pickup truck, said authorities.
According to the accident report, the accident occurred at approximately 6.30 pm on State Route 38, about 80 miles east of Los Angeles. The accident scene was covered in debris following the crash, with the mangled wreck of the bus on its side, blocking both lanes of the highway. Emergency rescue crews arrived promptly on the scene following the accident, and worked for hours to free passengers who were trapped in the wreckage of the bus. The bus was returning to Tijuana after a skiing day trip, said the spokesperson for the California Highway Patrol, Mario Lopez.
The extent of the accident and the number of people killed made the accident scene a nightmare, compounded by the fact that the bus was severely damaged and it was difficult to free passengers. Eight passengers were declared dead on the scene, while a further 38 were transported to local hospitals for treatment. Many of the injured lost limbs and sustained life-threatening injuries, and the death toll of the accident may still rise.
A spokesperson for the California Department of Transportation, Michelle Profant, described the scene as ‘a mess’, with severed limbs lying around the bus. The driver of the bus survived the accident, and told authorities that his brakes failed while he was heading down the hill, causing him to lose control and start the chain of events that lead to the accident.
The tour bus was operated by Scapadas Magicas LLC, based in National City, California. According to department of transport records, the company is appropriately licensed to carry tours across state lines and has a good safety record, with no crashes in the last two years. The company is yet to make a comment to the media.
This latest crash comes just 24 hours after 35 people were injured when a bus carrying 42 passengers hit into an overpass in Boston, Massachusetts.