23 Marines Hurt In Alabama Bus Crash

AP ^ | 3-10-2008

[My Favorite Headache]

FORT RUCKER, Ala. - A charter bus carrying members of a Marine Reserve anti-terrorism group overturned at an Army base, injuring 23 people. Three Marines were in critical condition Monday.

The civilian bus driver was charged with reckless driving and may face additional charges, the Army said.

The bus overturned Sunday at Fort Rucker, an Army aviation training center in southeast Alabama. The Marines were leaving the training area after a weekend exercise, Fort Rucker said in a statement.

The vehicle landed on its right side with military gear and debris littering the ground.

"It went into a curve a little fast, the driver lost control and it flipped a couple of times," state trooper Sgt. Scott Brasher told The Dothan Eagle.

The driver's name has not been released.

A message left at the troopers' state headquarters by The Associated Press was not immediately returned Monday.

The four most seriously injured Marines were airlifted by an Army medical helicopter. The Army said they were initially listed in critical condition, but one Marine was doing better Monday.

On board were members of E Company, Anti-Terrorism Battalion, 4th Marine Division with reservists based in Tallahassee, Fla., and the Birmingham suburb of Bessemer.

The military said all the injured were from the First and Headquarters platoons based in Bessemer.

Lt. Col Fritz Pfeiffer, a unit spokesman, said the bus was a charter operated by Adventure Bus Charter, which is located in Sumiton, near Birmingham.

Glenda Cummings, an owner of the company, declined to comment on the accident but said she did not believe the driver was hurt.

[NonValueAdded]

Prayers Up!!! Florida connection, Joe.

[Joe Brower]

Prayers up for these Marines. May their recovery be swift and complete.

Florida Freeper

[RDTF]

OMG

[tanuki]

Of all the ways to lose operators. Incredibly frustrating. I hope they all pull through.

[ladtx]

...the bus was a charter operated by Adventure Bus Charter...

Just trying to live up to its name.

[Rick.Donaldson]

It’s all because the state won’t them make homebrew, I’m sure.....

[Battle Axe]

Prayers for all Marines.

[Man50D]

I hope the troops all recover fully. The question now is will the socialist Democrats demand an immediate withdrawal of our troops from Alabama since it is too dangerous?

[MaxMax]

Alabama is a Quagmire for our troops.

[SE Mom]

prayers for Marines ping

[Man50D]

Alabama is a Quagmire for our troops.

They are there simply because of the oil.

[wolfcreek]

*The driver’s name has not been released.*

Muzzie?

[tioga]

Prayers up.

[antiunion person]

TERRORISM ALERT (HUMOR???)

What they don’t tell you in the news article is the bus driver was a Muslim and had a bomb strapped around his chest. But the federal government is stating there was nothing related to terrorism in this incident.

[Red6]

Leave Iraq now!

Don’t question what I said, it doesn’t need to make any sense./sarc (The mind of a liberal)

[Between the Lines]

Prayer for all.

[Tex Pete]

"Muzzie?" That's what I am wondering, too. Otherwise, why was his name not released? Why else would a bus driver be going around a curve on a military base fast enough to roll a bus over several times?

[pandoraou812]

Prayers for these Marines

[SeeRushToldU_So]

I was a MP @ Ft Rucker a lifetime ago. I am curious where this happened. Most of the roads are straight and flat.