Posted on 10/09/2004 9:16:37 AM PDT by LouAvul
MARION, Ark. (AP) - A bus carrying Chicago-area tourists to a Mississippi casino crashed and overturned early Saturday, killing at least 14 people, state police said.
The bus crashed on Interstate 55 in northeastern Arkansas, near Memphis, Tenn. Authorities believe it was headed to Tunica, Miss., a popular destination for casino gambling, when the accident happened about 5 a.m., state police spokesman Bill Sadler said.
An undetermined number of other passengers were injured and taken to hospitals.
Thirty people were aboard the bus, which was the only vehicle involved in the crash. Some of the dead were found crushed beneath the bus after wrecker crews arrived to pull it upright, Sadler said.
To reach other victims, emergency workers sheared off the top of the bus. The roof lay nearby while rescuers worked amid popped-open suitcases, clothes, pillows and cameras.
Authorities on the scene had not determined a cause for the crash, which occurred near a point where Interstate 55 veers to the left to take travelers into Memphis.
From an overpass near the crash site, tracks could be seen in the grass near the highway, suggesting the bus went straight as the road curved.
After leaving the highway, it went down a slight incline and flipped as it cut through a small ditch, traveling about 100 yards from the highway before stopping near an exit.
Police cautioned that investigators may not know for weeks what happened. "They'll be so many things they'll need to look at," Sadler said.
Witnesses and survivors told police the trip was uneventful, then "the next thing we knew, we were off the road," Sadler said.
A light mist was falling at the time of the crash, but visibility did not appear to be significantly limited, he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at modbee.com ...
John Kerry has blamed the tragic accident on George Bush's failure to sign the Kyoto Treaty.
/sarcasm
Arkansas? Check the passenger list. Might be another Arkanside. Seriously, horrible news.
Arkinsaw, have you driven that Interstate lately?
That's horrible. I heard the weather was kind of foggy that time. It could be caused by the weather.
Somebody was asleep at the wheel it sounds like. Such a shame. My Prayers are with those families that have lost love ones in this accident.
I recall a 20/20, or Dateline show that actually proved, scientifically, that people actually drive faster in foggy weather. Something doesn't click in the brain, and the drivers (during simulation) actually thought they were slowing down, when in fact they were speeding up.
Such a tragedy.
Gees, that's really dangerous to drive fast in foggy weather. When there is fog, I usually drive slower. One thing I noticed is that it is really calm, so perfect time to fly RC airplane :).
FOX said presser in 15 minutes. Sounds like the driver fell asleep. What a shame.
Well, that was the whole point of the story. You think you're driving slower when in fact, you're not. Even when the subjects were told, they didn't believe it. Only after they viewed the video tape did they believe. Fascinating
We had foggy weather one time and created a massive car accident on a freeway. No one died though. It is really scary.
Early this past March, wifey and I drove through the Texas panhandle and encountered rain and really heavy fog both ways (a week apart).
The first time, going east, the fog was mixed with fairly heavy rain, so traffic held to just under 70 - barely acceptable to us, since visibility was probably 75 yards tops from Amarillo to the Oklahoma state line.
Coming back west, once again right at the Oklahoma/Texas border, blam! We hit no rain, but pea soup fog with visibility of no more than fifty feet - this is scary, because traffic ran 75 to 80, and I of course didn't dare slow down for fear of taking it in the tailpipe....just kinda found some hazy tail lights in front, and tried to keep up. It was a very uncomfortable 150 miles or so...
Per news alert presser - 14 died (FOX says 15). Other passengers taken to TN and Ark. hospitals. No names at this time. Bus chartered from Chicago. Refuse to go on record on cause of crash. Everyone (?) thrown from bus.
The bus appears to have been completely demolished. Don't know if it was from the accident or the rescue workers.
Sound like the driver fell asleep.
"Sound like the driver fell asleep."
Yes, and 5 AM is a really rough time to be driving.
I wonder why anyone would want to spend 10 hours on a stinking bus to go for a weekend at a stupid casino.
It's a blessed miracle that all weren't killed. The bus was laying on it's top, and the windows on up were crushed, and the whole top looked sheared off.
Grusome.
There was a light rain/mist this morning. (I'm ~45 miles from there)
I heard this, too! How
does the whole bus-load of folks
get thrown from the bus?!
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