TruckingIndustry.news

13 Dead and 31 Injured After Tour Bus Crashes Into Semi

by Jana Ritter - Published: 10/24/2016

Yet another fatal highway rear-ending incident has occurred and this time it was a tour bus crashing into the rear of a semi-truck that was slowed in a traffic back-up on the 10 Freeway Mojave Desert stretch in California. 13 people died and 31 were injured as a result of the crash.

                                                                  california bus crash

In other news
January 05, 2018 - Trucker Faces 20 Years After Pleading Guilty To Smuggling Alien Found Dead In Locked Toolbox
January 02, 2018 - Police Identify 2 Oregon Truck Drivers Killed In Fiery Head-On Crash
December 27, 2017 - Iowa First Of Eight States To Debut New Truck Parking Information System

The tragic accident occurred at around 5:17 am Sunday morning on the 10 Freeway just north of Palm Springs, CA. A charter tour bus operated by a company called USA Holiday, that provides inexpensive night-trips from Los Angeles to various casinos sprinkled throughout the Mojave Desert, was making its way back to Los Angeles from the Red Earth Casino, located on the western edge of the Salton Sea in Thermal, California. The bus was moving at a highway speed with 44 people on board, when it came upon backed up traffic in an area where a Southern California Edison crew was doing maintenance on electric wires along the freeway. California Highway Patrol officers had been on the scene to slow and stop traffic as the crew completed their work and according to CHP Sgt. Daniel Hesser, the traffic had just started to move again before the collision occurred. The traffic was still moving much lower than typical freeway cruising speeds when the bus came along and crashed into the back of a semi-truck at the end of the line. 

“The impact just, you know, hit me from behind and I just blacked out for a minute and when I gained my consciousness, I undid my seatbelt and looked around. Thought I got ran over by something. That’s when I got out of my truck,” said the truck driver who was hit by the bus. In fact despite his wounds, the driver’s thoughts immediately went to the potential victims in the vehicle that hit him and he began helping to pull passengers out of the bus before crews arrived on the scene. “You got to think about others. I’m going to be alright. I want to get them safe. I don’t know if the bus is going to blow up,” he explained.

                                                                bus crash kills 13

Fortunately the bus never did blow-up, but the force of the impact was strong enough to completely crumple the first third of the passenger cabin into the rear of the truck's trailer. "The front six rows, where 12 people had been sitting, were squashed together. Everyone, dead and alive, was covered with blood,” said bus passenger, Miguel Martinez. The bus driver and 12 passengers were killed and 31 passengers suffered injuries ranging from critical to moderate.

Authorities with the National Transportation Safety Board arrived in Southern California early on Monday to investigate the crash. With the investigation still in its early stages and with the bus driver deceased, it's hard to determine exactly why the tragedy had to happen at all. It is among the deadliest recent crashes to occur in California, with the next being the April 2014 incident involving a Fed-ex truck slamming into a school bus and killing 10 people.


Brad Nitzh
Brad Nitzh
Hate to be bearer of bad news, but commercial coaches are ALWAYS driving aggressively, and flying. AND most all police officers just ignore their actions. Government talks safety but when it comes to the most precious cargo, people, most often turn a blind eye.
Rich Woodward
Rich Woodward
Not to overlook the tragedy of the wreck, but the Ca. State investigators said yesterday that they believe worn tires (they were below legal tread depth) may have been a contributing factor. WHAT!!! He drove into stopped traffic, rear ended a stopped (5mph) truck at high speed-no skid marks. And they think it might be worn tires! Idiots might as well claim global warming caused it.
Shelly Frederic
Shelly Frederic
I'm surprised they haven't found a way to blame the truck driver..."well after looking at his logs, we discovered he stopped at a rest area to take a shit twenty miles prior to the scene of the accident and after further investigation came to the conclusion that had he not stopped there he would not have been where he was for the bus to hit him" ... some lawyer will try it
Edward Fleckenstein
Edward Fleckenstein
I See these bus Driver's Speed all the time they do between 80-85 MPH such an unsafe speed with alot of People on Bord
Gary Steffan
Gary Steffan
It will be blamed on the truck driver for not running his four way flashers at the end of the line.
Ryan J Lemons
Ryan J Lemons
No he wont
Dana Regan
Dana Regan
It is illegal to run 4-ways in lane of travel in California, btw.
Raymond Yoder
Raymond Yoder
Running with your 4 ways will get you a ticket in cali
Patrick Lucas
Patrick Lucas
Yes it will been there done that on tehatcjpee
Gary Steffan
Gary Steffan
I think that would be irresponsible on the part of the law, your telling me if there is a crash up in front of you and you have to break a little hard with turning your fourway lights on too notify the driver behind you to slow down that you would get a ticket.
Kevin Richardson
Kevin Richardson
Them buses drive way to fast especially with passenger's on board. Never see them get pulled over like we do.
Michael J Adams
Michael J Adams
My heart goes out to the families of all involved, and to the injured.
Andy Beer
Andy Beer
Soon elogs and speed limiters will prevent ALL of this
Raymond Yoder
Raymond Yoder
Hahaha!!! And Santa Claus is real too
Andy Beer
Andy Beer
Lol
Jeff Buckner
Jeff Buckner
Seen it on the news the bus was 13 ft. In the trailer . That's an impact no doubt !!!
Cliff Polley
Cliff Polley
Ban all high capacity vehicles so can stop all this killings of innocent people!!!
Michael R. Beals
Michael R. Beals
Oh yeah that's the answer for sure smh
Gary Steffan
Gary Steffan
Put the braking mechanism on all buses
Hunt James Harold
Hunt James Harold
What about aircraft slim?
Paul Underhill
Paul Underhill
You mean braking ? Jesus Christ you people are scary...
Cliff Polley
Cliff Polley
Hush Herald I'm picking and choosing what I want just like the liberals do so I can see how it feels!! Michael you are the weakest link....SMH,LMAO!!
Hunt James Harold
Hunt James Harold
👀 👃🏿 👅
Kevin Richardson
Kevin Richardson
Cliff your a baggage handler so go back and pack bags.
Cliff Polley
Cliff Polley
HAHAHAAAA,is that the best you got PUGSLEY!!!
Lisa Lupold Slusser
Lisa Lupold Slusser
And I suppose you will spend the rest of your life volunteering to carry each and every person to the places they would like to go?!
Cliff Polley
Cliff Polley

Danielle N David Clinton
Danielle N David Clinton
Sending my condolences to all the families that loss their love ones. praying
Barbara Winkler Frahm
Barbara Winkler Frahm
yep my brother lives down the Rd from where this happened he said it was a mess
William Schreiber
William Schreiber
Get rid of split speeds in these states!
Chris Martin
Chris Martin
That's the same results "speed limiters" will have.
Tony Hrpcha Jr.
Tony Hrpcha Jr.
Those bus drivers all drive like assholes
Curtis Littrell
Curtis Littrell
Good argument against truck speed limiters...
Sue Domenico
Sue Domenico
In this case how? The bus driver was not paying attention. Traffic was going slower. If they were paying attention he would have noticed speed was down
Carl R. Pierce Jr
Carl R. Pierce Jr
Go sit in the corner. That was the most stupidest comment I have heard all year and that says a lot.
Christian Murray
Christian Murray
I feel for the people on board the bus who lost their lives....but I hope they do blood test on driver and check how long he was driving plus and check his phone records to see if he was texting...these bus drivers drive crazier than some truck drivers
Joseph Nash
Joseph Nash
I'm sure they will find a way to pin the blame on the truck driver. If I was a betting man I would bet that the bus driver was a foreign national.
Rick Kempke
Rick Kempke
I heard that the bus had just left a casino.
Jim Cameron
Jim Cameron
Truck going 55 and a bus going 70+
Donna Cassidy-Wright
Donna Cassidy-Wright
Prayers for everyone.
Roy Stewart
Roy Stewart
Yummy legs mmmm I love!!!
Mark Gervasini
Mark Gervasini
Rest in peace
Sergio Gonzalez
Sergio Gonzalez

Jerry Monroe
Jerry Monroe
Cliff I like the way you think!!
Shirley Berkbuegler
Shirley Berkbuegler
Wow how alfull sending prayers
Judy Pratt-gilbert
Judy Pratt-gilbert
Prayers