8 dead following New Mexico bus crash, bus scheduled to stop in Indio
Update – 8/31:
New Mexico State Police identified the drivers of the bus and semi-truck during a press conference.
Police said tire failure caused the truck to go over to westbound lanes, hitting the bus.
The truck driver was from a 35-year-old from Marina, California. He was a licensed driver working for JAG Transportation on his way to Memphis at time of the crash, police said in today’s press conference. The driver, identified as Elisara Taito, survived the crash.
“As soon as it happened I almost just knew that I was going to die. I was surprised that I made it,” Taito told CBS News.
The bus driver was identified as 49-year old Luis Alvarez, a Greyhound employee licensed in New Mexico.
A Greyhound spokesperson released a statement following today’s press conference.
We are deeply saddened by yesterday’s incident involving a Greyhound bus in New Mexico.
Tragically, a number of people have lost their lives, including our driver, who had 27 years’ experience with Greyhound. Our hearts are with all those affected by this incident.
We are cooperating with local authorities and the NTSB to determine the cause of the event.
We would like to thank our local partners and emergency services for the work they have done under such difficult circumstances.
Friends and family in need of information can contact the McKinley Emergency Operations Center at 505-722-4246.
For more information, please visit the New Mexico State Police Department twitter page to view their live press conference.
I do not expect to have any further updates at this time.
——————-
Original Story- 8/30:
A Greyhound bus that crashed in New Mexico causing 7 deaths was scheduled to arrive in Indio at 10:05 p.m. tonight, according to the Greyhound website.
Additional scheduled stops included an 8:10 p.m. arrival in Blythe, an 11:30 p.m. arrival in San Bernardino, and a 12:55 a.m. Friday arrival in Los Angeles.
At approximately 12:30 p.m. local time, a semi-truck was traveling Eastbound on Interstate-40 in New Mexico when it blew out a tire and crossed over the center median, veering into the westbound lanes and colliding head-on with the Greyhound bus, according to Ray Wilson of the New Mexico State Police.
49 passengers were on the bus at the time of the collision. 4 fatalities were confirmed at a press conference that took place after 4 p.m., but the number rose to 7 as the night progressed.
Six passengers sustained minor injuries and were treated at the scene. 38 passengers have been hospitalized at area h
I-40 has been shut down causing major delays. A hotline has been set up by the McKinnley County Fire Department for those seeking the identities of passengers on board the bus – (505) 863-3839.
The crash involved a Greyhound bus and semi-trailer. The bus was headed from Albuquerque to Phoenix with 47 passengers on board, the AP said.
{“url”:”https://twitter.com/NMStatePolice/status/1035270325213192193″,”author_name”:”NMSP”,”author_url”:”https://twitter.com/NMStatePolice”,”html”:”&#lt;blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”&#gt;&#lt;p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”&#gt;Officers have confirmed multiple casualties in this crash. Officers and EMS are still working this scene actively. More information will be released when available.&#lt;/p&#gt;– NMSP (@NMStatePolice) &#lt;a href=”https://twitter.com/NMStatePolice/status/1035270325213192193?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”&#gt;August 30, 2018&#lt;/a&#gt;&#lt;/blockquote&#gt;n&#lt;script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″&#gt;&#lt;/script&#gt;n”,”width”:550,”height”:null,”type”:”rich”,”cache_age”:”3153600000″,”provider_name”:”Twitter”,”provider_url”:”https://twitter.com”,”version”:”1.0″}
Greyhound Spokeswoman Crystal Booker told the wire service that it was unclear what caused the crash. Booker released a statement the crash:
There were 49 passengers onboard. The total number of injuries has not been determined at this time and we are fully cooperating with local authorities. Our first priority is taking care of our passengers and their families as this incident has deeply impacted all involved. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone as we continue to give our support to all affected. Friends and family in need of information can contact Greyhound on our Friends and Family hotline at 1-800-972-4583.
The crash forced the closure of the westbound lanes of I-40.
“The total number of injuries has not been determined at this time. The cause of the incident has not yet been determined. We are fully cooperating with local authorities and will also complete an investigation of our own. Please contact the New Mexico State Police Department for any further details,” read a Greyhound statement.
Watch KESQ News Channel 3 live at 5 & 6 PM & CBS Local 2 at 5:30 & 6:30 for the latest live update on this developing story.
Download the KESQ & CBS Local 2 app on iTunes or Google Play for up-to-the-minute breaking news alerts & more
More: I-Team and Stands for You investigations
Find us on Facebook: KESQ News Channel 3 & CBS Local 2
Follow us on Twitter for breaking news updates: @KESQ & @Local2
We’re on Instagram! @KESQ_News_Channel_3 & @CBSLocal2
Noticias en español: Telemundo 15
