A tour bus traveling from Mexico to Washington State crashed Tuesday on a Central California highway, killing five people and injuring many others.
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The California Highway Patrol said the white charter bus carrying 30 people was heading north on Highway 99 near Livingston in Merced County when the accident occurred around 3:25 a.m. local time, Fresno TV station KMPH and NBC affiliate KSEE reported. At least six people were airlifted by helicopter to area hospitals. Passengers were trapped in the wreckage as the pole almost split the bus in half. The force of impact was so strong, the pole almost sheared the bus in half.
There were at least 30 passengers on the bus, which was headed from Southern California to Sacramento. “He didn’t wake me up”, said Denise Menjivar, the driver’s grand-daughter.
The charter bus was reportedly traveling from Mexico to Washington State. As of 6 a.m., four people are still reported to be trapped in the bus. Its route also included a stop in Sacramento where it’s believed a driver swap was scheduled.
The northbound side of the highway was closed down as emergency crews extricated people from the bus. Sixteen others were transported to Mercy Medical Center and Emanuel Medical Center. Wreckage and debris including seat cushions, drink containers, pillows and a blanket were scattered in lanes and on the shoulder of the highway.
Calls to various telephone listings for the company went unanswered. “Fire department personnel were inside the bus collecting as many body parts as possible for the coroner to identify”, he said.
Following an inspection in April the coach was found to have three violations, including a lack of or a defective brake warning device.
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Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration records indicate the company has eight buses and 14 drivers. That violation was not further described, and there was no indication whether each of the items had been fixed.
