PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Public Safety says a tour bus overturned on a highway near the Hoover Dam, killing at least six passengers and injuring at least 16. A DPS news release says the crash occurred about 4 p.m. Friday in northwestern Arizona.
DPS spokesman Lt. James Warriner says officers on the scene have confirmed six fatalities. He says officials do not know what caused the bus to overturn.
The crash closed down U.S. 93 in both directions. The highway is the main route between Phoenix and Las Vegas.
The crash site is about 190 miles northwest of Phoenix.
http://www.lasvegasnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=9763706&nav=menu102_2
Here is news video
Bill,
That is terrible! The roads were in great condition and dry. They said that speed was probably a factor.
And I might add here, that it is pretty foolish to take our buses up to speed faster than the speed limits. So just a sobering note of caution here. Lets make sure that we operate our buses at the right speed!!!
We need to be praying for those affected, and especially for the folks still in critical condition. Also for the families of those that were killed.
God bless,
John
PS I edited this down...Van has better info.
what would have caused that the highway is flat level desert in that area 5 miles from the dam is a little tricky and hard on brakes. The news must be screwed up looking at the pictures from Las Vegas that is not Arrow Stage Line bus wrong color for Arrow I been running with 6 of their Setra's from Phoenix going toTampa
David
Very sad indeed. In needs of prayers.
It look like a large mini bus. I believe its a front engine version.
Roll over several time without seat belts is like being in a "concrete mixer". Horrible!
Gerald & Lynette
First off ,It is amazing how the story changes depending on the media source .that being said ,incident occurred at mile marker 27,27 mi soth of the dam ,vehicle was based out of s..calif(D W charters and was chartered out to an local tour company,the bus a small 26 seater was en route back to Vegas from a day trip @ the canyon overlook @ the Kaibab indian reservation with I believe tourists from the Philippines,which is why I believe the passangers were ejected during the roll(they don't wear seat belts there and didn''t here either(unfortunate). bus went off the road into the center median and rolled numurious times into the south bound lanes of route 93 narrowly missing two Harley riders in the s.bound lanes causing one of the riders to run off the road dumping the scooter ,riders are ok .full details are on going at this moment .the hoover dam is closed to traffic still at this moment to south bound traffic .passengers on the bus were ejected when the bus rolled .speed is always a factor on that road leading to the Vegas valley on the week end and this being super bowl week end makes it no better .posted speed limit is 70 mph in which as you know the flow is usually 10 mph faster.I know this road very well it is as said before very smooth with 2 lanes in each direction. From 4:15 pm till around 6:00 pm the sky was abuzz above my home with helo's racing to and fro the accident site .looking at the crash site my self I witnessed the skid marks on the pavement I suspect the out come will be a blown tire .6 folks died at the scene(so sad) and i would have to rely on what you guys heard after that as I was on the road to recover one of the Harleys that went down.that's all I can say for now .so let's buckle up and slow down out there.be safe all.Van
P.S. at our posted speeds way out here ,any thing that is not strapped down in a roll over always results in the same manner ,ejection!,so buckle up people it's no joke!
Still following this accident this morning,Passengers were from china,one more victim died over night bringing the total dead to 7.preliminary reports state the bus swerved to the right and over corrected causing the bus to flip across the median .What caused the driver to over correct is still in question.
VAN,
Don't leave us hanging.
How's the Harley? ;D
Van,
Thanks for the real story...
God bless,
John
Quote from: Ednj on January 31, 2009, 07:52:52 AM
VAN,
Don't leave us hanging.
How's the Harley? ;D
No doubt, still junk. It takes a lot more than an accident to improve a Harley!
BG6 that comment about the Harley will start a good one
David
The bike was fine a few scratches ,nothing bad the rider suffered a broken leg as a result of avoiding a collision with the bus after over turning and ending up in his(s.bound)lane.he was wearing his helmet.arizona has no helmet law and most riders stop to remove their helmets once they cross the dam into Arizona to enjoy the open air(matter of choice for most riders)and the open road.He was in good spirits and very thank full he survived the ordeal.
Quote from: BG6 on January 31, 2009, 08:03:05 AM
Quote from: Ednj on January 31, 2009, 07:52:52 AM
VAN,
Don't leave us hanging.
How's the Harley? ;D
No doubt, still junk. It takes a lot more than an accident to improve a Harley!
>
BG6 - If I have to explain about a Harley - surely you wouldn't be able to comprehend. :o
Van, thanks for real details of accident. Sorry to see loss of lives. Condolences to those families.
Bus looks like it's made on a truck chassis, like a limo bus - Krystal,etc.
Ed,you're absolutely right ,Vantare you are absolutely right also,and BG6 sorry you feel that way,but I think you'd be hard pressed to convince any body who owns one and rides one other wise . ;)
It's all good ,there's one of these guy's in every crowd LOL
DOLAN SPRINGS, Ariz. -- Federal investigators on Sunday (Feb. 1) closely examined a stretch of rural Arizona highway near Hoover Dam looking for clues to the cause of a tour bus crash that killed seven Chinese tourists, the Associated Press reported.
The six investigative team members would be measuring and photographing the site, evaluating the condition of the highway, and looking for skid marks and other clues, National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Peter Knudson said.
"These markings can be very important in telling the story of what happened," Knudson said.
The bus crashed Friday on a straight stretch of U.S. 93, about 70 miles southeast of Las Vegas.
The tourists had left Las Vegas early Friday on a trip to the Grand Canyon, and were returning when the bus veered right and then left across the median, rolling at least once before resting across the southbound lanes of the highway.
Along with the seven people killed, 10 others were injured.
After inspecting the crash site, the investigators planned to head south to Kingman to evaluate the bus. That will include checking whether the wheels and brakes were in good working order and whether any mechanical malfunctions may have caused the accident, Knudson said.
He said the investigators also plan to interview the 48-year-old bus driver, who was in fair condition at a Las Vegas hospital, and the surviving passengers.
"The more people we talk with, the more information we'll be able to get," he said.
The investigation will take 12 to 18 months to complete, with the bulk of the work being conducted at the NTSB's headquarters in Washington, Knudson said.
Representatives of the Arizona Department of Public Safety said they likely will have some preliminary results this week.
"Was it mechanical failure? Was it driver error?" DPS spokesman Lt. James Warriner said. "All that will come with looking at the vehicle and conducting interviews."
Warriner said of the weather at the time of the wreck that it was a "nice, clear day."
The DPS said the bus belonged to D.W. Tours of San Gabriel, Calif., which didn't respond to an e-mail from The Associated Press seeking comment.
Five people remained hospitalized Sunday at University Medical Center in Las Vegas. Two were in critical condition.
Hospital spokesman Rick Plummer said the victims' injuries ranged from spinal and head injuries to bone fractures. "It ran the whole gamut of injuries," he said.
Volunteers from the Chinese community in Las Vegas crowded the hospital's trauma unit Saturday, hoping to help with translation and taking food to the families of the injured.
Huang Xiaojian from the Chinese consulate in Los Angeles also was at the hospital but said she would not discuss details. "I am here to visit the patients," she said.
Two others -- an 18-year-old woman and a 57-year-old man in fair condition Sunday -- were at Sunrise Hospital in Las Vegas, according to hospital spokeswoman Ashlee Seymour. Another was still being treated at Kingman Regional Medical Center, hospital spokesman Ryan Kennedy said.
(The preceding article was distributed February 1, 2009, by the Associated Press.)
>
>
Investigators were able to talk today to the driver of the 24-pax mini-bus that crashed 27 miles South of Hoover Dam, killing 7 Chinese tourists. He is still in critical condition at UMC in Vegas. The vehicle involved was a 2007 Chevrolet Starcraft cutaway. You can read the latest on the investigation as it's being reported on the local evening news:
http://www.lasvegasnow.com/global/story.asp?s=9769334
>
Sources say the door on the bus opened as the group was driving north on US-93. When the driver, 48-year-old Han Dong, tried to close the door, he lost control of the bus and crashed. The result left seven people dead.
>
!!!The preceding was copied and pasted!!!
I have seen so many wrecks in car, trucks, RV's and now "buses" (that wasn't a real bus) where the driver drops a wheel off the shoulder and over corrects. The same goes for blow outs and other tire failures. I just don't understand it, especially with a "professional" driver. It appears to be a completely avoidable accident.
I think there should be a national training campaign for handling such occurrences (really can't even call them emergencies).
The last time we took one of these tour bus rides the driver was pissed as a parrot. We just got off at the first chance. Not saying that was the case here but some of those buses turn into party buses at some point of the day.