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Subscribe to RSSLA GRANDE, Ore. -- Nine people were killed and at least 20 others hospitalized on Sunday after a tour bus veered out of control on an icy stretch of freeway in eastern Oregon and rolled nearly 200 feet down an embankment, state police said.
State police reported that the driver apparently lost control of the charter bus around 10:30 a.m. on the snow- and ice-covered lanes of Interstate 84 and crashed through a guardrail before plunging down an embankment. The Oregonian newspaper reported that the bus tumbled nearly 200 feet before coming to a halt.
Oregon State Police Lt. Gregg Hastings told the newspaper that about 40 passengers were on the bus at the time of the crash, which occurred near milepost 227 on Interstate 84 near Deadman Pass, according to the East Oregonian newspaper.
Hastings told the East Oregonian that he learned the bus was returning to Las Vegas from British Columbia, Canada.
Rescue workers used ropes to help retrieve the injured from the scene. Westbound lanes of I-84 were closed.
The Oregonian said 18 passengers were transported to St. Anthony's Hospital in Pendleton, about 13 miles northwest of the crash scene. Hospital spokesman Larry Blanc would not say if or how many passengers sustained life-threatening injuries, it said.
Three fixed-wing aircraft also were on standby at the Pendleton airport if needed to transport injured to hospitals elsewhere, state police said.
Authorities did not immediately identify the operator of the charter bus.
Oregon State Police / Reuters
Rescue personnel respond to the scene of a charter bus crash on I-84, east of Pendleton, Ore. in this photo released on Dec. 30. Police said the bus may have gone out of control on the highway before crashing through a guardrail and down an embankment.
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oops
See? Accident.
And I hope Oregon never does use road salt! That malevolent substance rots cars, and I don't want it anywhere within a few hundred miles of my vehicles. How about requiring snow tires on commercial vehicles instead? Or requiring that they chain up on certain stretches of road in severe weather, regardless of whether or not cars are required to do the same. The answers lie in regulating commercial bus/truck traffic for safety, not in environmentally loathsome chemistry.
That's more or less what I said ( below) excluding all my typo's ... I'm watching the Packs and Minn game at the same time which caused many typos, SEE I'm from Chicago .. but anyhow that's what needs to happen .. close the roads for certain vehicles when weather conditions are not permitting .. better to be late then not ever get to ones destination.
We use pulverized lava rock and sand, local stuff, very efficient, and what the local business lack in rust on car bodies is made up for in windshield damage.
That area of I-84 is closed at times due to icy or windy conditions, and trucks and drivers have to either wait or go some other way around. As others have posted, it is one of the worst places to drive through, due to wind and weather.
Here we go with the blame game and howl does politics have a place in this?
Point is, when weather conditions are snow covered and icy .. its up to the street and sanitation department to have them clear and clean .. if that's not possible then the road should be closed to certain vehicles , such as buses and semi's and it many conditions ALL vehicles. Falling a 200 fot plunge , I doubt if seatbelts would of helped any. Let's wait and see what the bus looks like. I'm thinking is a piece of crushed up tin.
My condolences to the families.
All these people getting hurt on buses, we should BAN all buses!!!
We have to ban bus's that carry over 10 people to prevent this type of tragedy from happening in the future.
Only if the democrats could pass legislation to stop this nonsense and where is the President?
... are you friggin people for real !!! ban this, ban that ... what's going to be left. How about just being more aware and acting responsible.
@Eastside... That would mean people would have to be held accountable for their actions if they were to act responsible. The way this society is trending it is just to easier to blame something and ban it or mandate it.
You guys forgot to report it was a Bushmaster Bus, with Glock tires and a Sig engine. It always a Bushmaster, that is the only name on Obamas notes. They dont want to confuse him.
Doesn't the bush family own the bushmaster bus company? h. w. planned this accident and had himself admitted to the hospital for observation???, so he wouldn't be blamed. karl rove & dick cheney channeled me with that tidbit. get serious folks, people died, people are seriously injured, & who amongst us is not greedy?
Once we have all you gunhuggers names on the masterlist...we will ban you
Let's see: 9 killed, 39 injured, 40 on the bus - according to my math, some of the killed must have been injured?
stowaways?
Unwanted. Illegals hiding in the tires.
Really, folks, have some compassion. I live quite near where this accident occured. That section of I-84 is absolutely horrible and is known for terrible conditions. My son was nearly killed in a wreck there 5 years ago. We have had winter weather over the past week and I'm sure the road condition was nasty.
Please express your condolences and leave totally non-applicable political comments out of this.
Wall-Walla it is obvious you live in the "dope" sate of WA.........I am sure the "blue" you hates all of these crazy gun rants! lol
Walla. Heres some cmpassion for you. Since Oregon does nothing to prevent these accidents, Oregon automatically becomes responsible for everyone on there roads. NO salt or sand on the roads, no warning signs flashing, ETC. I hope that all of you in Oregon are Rich, you are going to need it when the Lawsuits start mounting up on your State and the County that this happened in. I hear that there is a chartered plane getting ready to leave Florida loaded with Ambulance Chasers.
Liberals can't HANDLE the truth!
wasci- Oregon does everything possible to keep there drivers safe.From mile post 216 to the 227 on I- 84 is the most watched for road conditions by ODOT because of the hazardous conditions in this area. Plows and gravel are used and mandatory chaining in snow and ice conditions are required.Major road sign at the bottom of the grade and at the top tell you whether or not you can go through the pass or whether chains and traction devises are required.strong winds at this point of the freeway can push you around especially trucks and buses it doesn't take much to wreck in these conditions.To blame the state for this tragedy without the full facts of what happened makes you sound pretty cold hearted.....get your facts straight before you open your mouth.
My thoughts and prayers to the families of all those involved in this horrible accident....
I'm sorry for what happened, Walla Walla.
Thank you, onlytruecomment, for laying out the facts.
This site is infested with self-centered trolls who don't bother reading the articles, couldn't pass a third-grade comprehension test under any circumstances, and who certainly have never been on that part of I-84, let alone any part of Eastern Oregon.
Every year, icy roads and other traffic dangers kill many more people than guns, says the NRA. It follows logically that we should arm everyone to the teeth with an arsenal of military assault weapons.
What a great idea Al Kyda....the better to shoot you with!
This is the Headline on Yahoo news;
Police: Five dead, about 20 wounded in Oregon tour bus crash
Was the bus armed with deadly Gunz ????? Or was this wishful antigun Liberal thinking ?????
This trend in highway deaths is getting worse and worse. I think it is about time we outlaw all vehicles that hold over five people, not let anyone drive that has been convicted of a felony, and put impenetrable locks on all vehicles outside a garage, so that kids can not get in them.
Outlaw buses now!!! There is no time to waste....
CORRECT!! People don't kill people...BUSES kill people!!The logic is obvious.The bus just jumped out all by itself and killed all of these people.
Welcome to the State of Oregon........you should have stayed in Idaho. What a terrible accident and I think it is about time they put belts in buses!
Outlaw buses? How asinine!!! How about just stay of the f-ing roads when they're ice covered?
Too simple, Tony.
"Oregon" and "common sense" are an oxymoron. Fact.
I was surprised to see it was an eastbound accident when I read where it happened. Heading westbound from that crash area is the real challenge but it does get icy and nasty up there with blowing snow and freezing fog to glaze the roads regardless of direction. Heading west from that accident scene does have a steep downgrade with an awesome panoramic view dropping you down into Pendleton. Emigrant Hill or the unofficial name of cabbage pass and you will remember your first descent forever.
It is something to see is not?? BTW.....thank you.
This is the Headline on Yahoo news.
Police: Five dead, about 20 wounded in Oregon tour bus crash
Was the bus armed with Gun ????? Or was this wishful antigun Liberal thinking ?????
Call Feinstein and Bloomberg now !!! We MUST ban ALL assault buses, that seat more than 10 passengers.
So...I will get a ticket for not wearing my seat belt in my car....but no seat belts are required on buses. I have to wear a seat belt on an airplane but lap children (at least they used to allow this) don't have to wear seat belts but just sit on a parent's lap.
Those two instances are completely NOT discussed and everyone keeps their head in the sand about it. And yes...as one poster said earlier...it is all about money.
When I was a flight attendant, about ten years ago, I saw young babies and toddlers in their parents laps with no safety belts and yet the FAA would come down on us if a seated (paying) passenger didn't have their seat belt on. It all comes across as "we want you to be safe" and yet it was all about following FAA rules and avoiding fines. I used to verbally question the lap child situation and was given dirty looks like "we don't talk about that". It's no different with buses. Such bull***.
We need to outlaw all buses, right now.
Only President "Crocodile Tears" can save us from this menace!
Thank you Old Trucker 99
Time to Ban Buses - No More buses - They kill innocent people - Take the buses away from people - Buses kill!!!!!
Ban High Capacity Buses.......it's for the children.
Nobody needs a bus that can hold more than 10 people, except the Military and the Police.
Anyone ever hear of Air Travel? Much safer and faster.
I am truly sorry for the loss of those people. Maybe, the politically correct thing to do would be to call for a ban on tour buses....those things are dangerous. Nine killed and twenty injured....all could have been prevented if tour buses had been banned.