Two people are dead and several others injured when a Greyhound bus landed on its side in San Jose during Tuesday’s morning commute, authorities said.
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Seven people have died in six Greyhound bus accidents over the past two years before Tuesday’s wreck, according to federal transportation officials.
Greyhound bus overturns on Hwy 101 in San JoseThere is no word on what caused the bus to crash.
A Greyhound rep says dash camera footage will be turned over to local authorities if requested.
It was not known how many passengers were on the bus, or what led up to the crash.
Prior to the crash the driver, identified as 58-year-old Gary Bonslater of Victorville, had dropped off two passengers in Gilroy and bought coffee, CHP Officer Christopher Miceli said.
Antonio Olivera, 25, said his mother was traveling home to San Francisco from Los Angeles, where she had visited her other two sons. The identities of the dead have not been released.
The driver denied broadcast reports that he had fallen asleep at the wheel, said Miceli.
EDS NOTE: GRAPHIC CONTENT – Bodies, left, are covered with tarps as officials work at the scene of a fatal bus accident, Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2016, in San Jose, Calif. The bus flipped on its side while traveling north on Highway 101, according to the San Jose Fire Department.
The crash sent debris flying across the highway, some of which struck a auto in the southbound lanes, officials said. Rescue workers still were tallying the number of injured and those who declined hospitalization, but at least one person suffered major injuries, the California Highway Patrol said. A passenger said the bus was half full with 20 passengers inside. Joel Ibarra said his grandmother had made the trek three times accompanied by family, but this trip was a solo excursion.
Miceli said the driver will be asked to submit a blood sample to test for alcohol and drugs.
The bus flipped on its side while traveling north on Hwy 101 at about 70 miles per hour.
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The accident slowed a morning commute already hit by rain, backing up northbound Highway 101.
