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Tour bus crash in Ark. kills at least 14
modbee ^ | 10-9-04

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 ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; US: Alaska; US: Mississippi; US: Tennessee
KEYWORDS: bus; buscrash; casinos; gambling; memphis; tourbus; tunica
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1 posted on 10/09/2004 9:16:37 AM PDT by LouAvul
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To: LouAvul

John Kerry has blamed the tragic accident on George Bush's failure to sign the Kyoto Treaty.

/sarcasm


2 posted on 10/09/2004 9:24:33 AM PDT by Thrusher (The timing of this post is suspicious.)
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To: LouAvul

Arkansas? Check the passenger list. Might be another Arkanside. Seriously, horrible news.


3 posted on 10/09/2004 9:27:03 AM PDT by Azzurri
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To: LouAvul; Arkinsaw
Given the description of where this happened, it must be near West Memphis, AR. I-55 is terrible, especially around the West Memphis area.

Arkinsaw, have you driven that Interstate lately?


$710.96... The price of freedom
VII-XXIII-MMIV

4 posted on 10/09/2004 9:27:39 AM PDT by rdb3 (How much are the Muslims paying Pat Buchanan?)
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To: LouAvul

That's horrible. I heard the weather was kind of foggy that time. It could be caused by the weather.


5 posted on 10/09/2004 9:34:31 AM PDT by Ptarmigan (Proud rabbit hater and killer)
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To: rdb3
Arkinsaw, have you driven that Interstate lately?

I haven't been up that way in a while. I can say that the state has been improving all of the interstates in the last year. They passed a huge bond issue a couple of years ago because the embarassment finally got to be too much.

I know that they have been working in central Arkansas and the interstates are now good here. But then again, you know how the delta area of the state always gets the crumbs and Little Rock gets the icing.
6 posted on 10/09/2004 9:36:27 AM PDT by Arkinsaw
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To: LouAvul

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.


7 posted on 10/09/2004 9:38:35 AM PDT by Americanwolf ("Be vwey vwey quite! I am hunting DU Twolls! ---Elwer Fuwd Fwee wepubwic member and cawtoon icon)
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To: Ptarmigan
I heard the weather was kind of foggy that time

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.

8 posted on 10/09/2004 9:52:28 AM PDT by Puppage (You may disagree with what I have to say, but I shall defend to your death my right to say it)
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To: Puppage

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 :).


9 posted on 10/09/2004 9:53:21 AM PDT by Ptarmigan (Proud rabbit hater and killer)
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To: LouAvul

FOX said presser in 15 minutes. Sounds like the driver fell asleep. What a shame.


10 posted on 10/09/2004 10:00:34 AM PDT by mtbopfuyn
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To: Ptarmigan
When there is fog, I usually drive slower

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

11 posted on 10/09/2004 10:00:50 AM PDT by Puppage (You may disagree with what I have to say, but I shall defend to your death my right to say it)
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To: Puppage

We had foggy weather one time and created a massive car accident on a freeway. No one died though. It is really scary.


12 posted on 10/09/2004 10:05:43 AM PDT by Ptarmigan (Proud rabbit hater and killer)
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To: Puppage
, 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.

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...

13 posted on 10/09/2004 10:14:34 AM PDT by ErnBatavia ("Dork"; a 60's term for a 60's kinda guy: JFK)
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To: LouAvul

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.


14 posted on 10/09/2004 10:22:09 AM PDT by mtbopfuyn
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To: LouAvul
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.

Sound like the driver fell asleep.

15 posted on 10/09/2004 10:24:55 AM PDT by RedWhiteBlue
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To: RedWhiteBlue

"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.


16 posted on 10/09/2004 10:33:39 AM PDT by AlexW
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To: LouAvul
Local TV media just showed the wreckage.

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.

17 posted on 10/09/2004 10:52:36 AM PDT by Maigrey (Member of the semi-naked blogger Political Operative Brigade. To H#ll with pajamas!)
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To: Puppage

There was a light rain/mist this morning. (I'm ~45 miles from there)


18 posted on 10/09/2004 10:53:29 AM PDT by Maigrey (Member of the semi-naked blogger Political Operative Brigade. To H#ll with pajamas!)
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To: mtbopfuyn
>Everyone (?) thrown from bus

I heard this, too! How
does the whole bus-load of folks
get thrown from the bus?!

19 posted on 10/09/2004 12:14:05 PM PDT by theFIRMbss
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To: theFIRMbss
No seat belts. Bus disintegrates as it spins about its long axis.
20 posted on 10/09/2004 12:21:53 PM PDT by Moonman62 (Federal Creed: If it moves tax it. If it keeps moving regulate it. If it stops moving subsidize it.)
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