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Subscribe to RSSIllinois State Police say the bus blew a tire before veering off the road. NBC's Brian Williams reports.
Updated at 11:29 p.m. ET: A passenger bus traveling from Chicago to St. Louis plowed into a bridge support Thursday on a southern Illinois interstate, killing one person and injuring 33 others, several of them critically, police said.
Thirty ambulances and five emergency helicopters responded to the scene on Interstate 55 a few miles north of Litchfield, in Montgomery County south of the capital, Springfield, said Illinois State Trooper Doug Francis.
Illinois State Police told NBC station KSDK-TV of St. Louis that a woman seated above the driver on the second floor of the bus was killed. KSDK identified her as 25-year-old Aditi Avhad of India. She was on her way to Columbia, Missouri, the station reported. State police weren't able to provide precise information of the seriousness of people's injuries, saying in a statement only that "several" were critically injured.
The driver of the bus was taken to a hospital for surgery, but his injuries were not believed to be life-threatening, a statement from the Illinois State Police said.
The bus, a double-decker express operated by the budget intercity service Megabus, was running from Chicago to St. Louis, the company told NBC News. It said 81 tickets had been sold for the trip, but police said the bus' manifest showed only 64 passengers. The discrepancy couldn't immediately be explained.
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Police said they believed a tire blew out before the bus rammed into the concrete pillar. Video from KSDK showed that it sustained extensive damage.
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My condolences to the families of those who were harmed in the crash. Is it really necessary to interrupt the olympics 3 times for this news when they already have a banner scrolling at the bottom and another channel that they were broadcasting the accident on? Not really. I think one channel is enough KSDK.
does anybody actually screen these drivers? this happens WAY TOO often. Maybe a universal bus driver exam, test for the ability to drive, maybe screen for narcolepsy, drug and alcohol screening are likely standard already, there needs to be some answer to WHY these busses can not get from point A to point B and back again, without passengers dying...
Greg, you make an excellent point! The type of person who drives trucks and buses are those who refused to study and dropped out of high school without graduating. They enjoy alcohol and drugs, and are most probably under the influence while driving. They enjoy bullying others with their giant vehicles. When behind the wheel, they feel "successful" and "in control!" They are the type who will NOT follow orders, and will NOT work for any supervisor on earth. Essentially, most are pure rebels at heart, and would have a difficult time finding other employment because of their limited skills and terrible attitudes. When you place your life in their hands, you take one of the biggest gambles on earth!
R.I.P.
It's obvious to me that buses need to be banned.
There is NO reason why anyone needs such a high capacity vehicle.
That is my point. no way would I @!$%# on that upper deck. Buses are not the problem. It is the carriers. The NTSB said that they are 7 times more likely to have accidents than Greyhound.
I wonder whether it was driver error or an actually defective condition on the bus. Bus companies are usually government controlled entities, if the injured parties bring a claim for injuries, I wonder whether the city will immediately accept liability.
www.downtownlalaw.com
There is no way I would sit on that upper deck. Look what happened in Syracuse, NY last year. The driver missed seceral low bridge clearance warnings, the last being a flashing light and hit a bridge that was only 10ft 9in. Those double decket buses are almost 13ft. They may in fact be at least 13ft. That driver lived close to me and he said that felt terrible. But his F... up cost 4 people there lives and now they will never walk this planet again. No way will I trust them. The NSTB said that they are 7 times more likely to have accidents than Greyhound. That is mind boggling.
What else can you expect with the fare from Minneapolis to Chicago being $1?
You pay for what you get! If you want a comfortable, smooth, SAFE, non-polluting, and convenient trip, then take the train! Check history, from 1890 forward, and you will find that rail travel has been and remains the safest of all, with the lowest accident rates. Billions have traveled trillions of miles all over the world by rail, and arrived safely. Try it! Rail operating personnel must meet high standards and are well trained!
Later we'll find out the tire blew because all the fatties sat on the same side, and the driver didn't ask some of 'em to move over.
Or...maybe the bus was gay, and that's why it blew a tire?
extreme heat makes air expand in tires and commercial drivers ned to manage and check theyre air pressure all the time, and let soem air out very now and then to relive the hot air pressure even used spary botles and take breaks to let them cool down, but soem things just happen , unfortunatly , and pray for everyone involved
115 people die in motor vehicle crashes everyday, 1.2 million people are injured yearly. Ban motor vehicles (including hybrids and electric cars). They are not Consitutionally protected.
Technicaly, Motor Vehichles could be considered art, and how do you expect people to get from city to city?
aqn627, they should take the train! There are several daily connections between Chicago and Saint Louis. If trains are not available on certain routes, such as Chicago-Miami, New Orleans-Miami, Atlanta-Miami, Memphis-Nashville-Chattanooga-Knoxville, Salt Lake City-Seattle, Denver-Dallas, Dallas-Houston, Indianapolis-Louisville-Nashville-Birmingham, Detroit-Miami, Chicago-Detroit-Toronto-Montreal, and many other city pairs, then citizens should demand trains as a fast, frequent, comfortable, convenient, efficient and non-polluting form of transport! When citizens speak up, action can be taken. Otherwise, we will continue to waste energy, and CEOs will continue to rip us off! If Europe and Asia can have efficient transport and high-speed rail systems, the USA can also, but only if the people demand it!
Litchfeild is hardly southern Illinois.
Huh? Of course it's Southern Illinois. Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville is right down the road.
There was ABSOLUTELY NO Reason for this to Happen ! An ON BOARD TIRE INFLATION SYSTEM like those sold by SUPER-AIR WOULD have PREVENTED this TRAGEDY ! NO REASON at all for this to happen
only the driver can tell what really happend
They should make it illegal to crash a bus into a bridge, that would stop it.
This is a bus crash,not a political rally. Keep politics out of this. Wrong thread for this. We need to be thinking cause and effects. If tire blows, driver has special set of problems to deal with this, and he may have tried all he could do. Physics control the rest as to what happens. Let's deal with know facts and not so much fantasy of what could of happened. We know of possible tire problem and bus into bridge area with known injuries and death conditions. Now let's get sensible and deal in upcoming facts.
Too bloody right!
If they were attending a green convention, they should have been concerned about pollution! This means they would have taken the train, and there are several daily between Chicago and Saint Louis. If they are concerned about energy use and all the other ramifications of the "green" movement, their brains have NOT translated their professed concerns into logical action! Trains are the most safe and comfortable, and least polluting form of transportation known to man. Buses have a higher accident rate, and are a nuisance to other drivers, although not as severe an irritant as trucks. We need to demand a comprehensive passenger rail network in our nation, including the significant use of high-speed rail. If we can fight useless wars, we can have a first class transportation system, as in Japan, Germany, South Korea, France, China, Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Switzerland, Italy, Denmark, Austria, Spain, Taiwan, Finland, and many others, including even Russia. Citizens need to demand a first class rail transport, get the trucks and buses OFF the roads, and silence the naysayers!
One thing the papers aren't reporting is that Aditi Avhad was a graduate student in School of Medicine at University of Missouri. She was a bright and promising young health professional. Might be nice to include that next to her "25-year-old woman from India" sentence about her.
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/dr-aditi-avhad/41/231/829
Since she comes from a nation where approximately 93% of the travel is by rail, and she has to be accustomed to taking trains, she should have taken one of the several trains scheduled daily between Chicago and Saint Louis! This is very sad! Buses are death traps virtually all over the world and should be avoided where at all possible! Trains are the safest form of transport available, with the lowest accident and death rates!
Really? Tom Marvolo? How fitting you pick the name of an evil wizard, you dumb @!$%#ing prick. I take the MegaBus all the time. I'm a student living in Chicago, working two jobs to pay for rent and school, and I take the MegaBus to visit family in St. Louis because it's cheap, I can get work done or sleep, and I don't mind driving for six hours since the entire trip cost me 20 bucks. Or less.
The only thing your post proves is you're an inconsiderate @!$%# who cares nothing for the plight of others. Your very existence disgusts me you troll.
As to the matter at hand, this really is a travesty. I can't help but think that, on any other day, any other time, this could have been me. That might seem selfish, but it really puts things into perspective, and it makes me all the more grateful to be alive and well. To all those that were unfortunately caught up in this accident, my heart goes out to you and I hope you recovery goes quickly and smoothly.
Yes, Irvine Gray, that could have been you, either dead or mutilated and maimed for life! A very narrow escape for you, fellow! Why don't you take the train if you want to travel by the safest and least polluting form of transport known to man? But no, it appears a dangerous thrill ride, risking your life and saving a few cents is more important to you than saving our environment and conserving resources. Let's hope you can develop a decent vocabulary and learn to be more tolerant of others before you graduate!
Give it a rest, E K. I'm a railfan, and have ridden trains all over the US and Asia and I'm a big supported of rail travel, but your constant repetition is getting really annoying.
Well maintained tires, tread, air pressure etc. rarely blows out. So a driver has the responsibility to do a walk around at the beginning of his trip, and after each stop. Regular maintenance must be conducted also by the bus facility. Yes, accidents may still happen due to mechanical fatigue, but prevention is the key.
Tragic accident? Preventable accident? Who knows, but people who put their trust in a company in the business to transport human life failed to provide safe transport.
I am sorry for the loss of life and injuries people sustained, I hope that it wasn't due to cutting corners on the part of the bus company, will anyone ever know?
they want to outlaw assault rifles, why not ban buses?
Because buses sole purpose isn't to kill people?
Really both of you are off topic.
Really a lot of you are off the topic. Ignoring the facts of the case. Serving as the judge and jury to fault without facts. Its not a forum of which is better-train or bus or truck.