At least 7 people died tragically yesterday, after an 18-wheeler collided head-on with a packed Greyhound bus just outside of Thoreau, New Mexico.
Dozens of others were injured, some critically.
18-Wheeler Driver Lost Control of Rig Due to Blown Tire
The deadly crash occurred at roughly 12:30 p.m., when a semitruck traveling east on I-40 in McKinley County blew a tire, causing the driver to lose control of his rig.
The truck flew across the median and into westbound traffic, where it struck the Greyhound bus head-on.
The 18-wheeler, which had been hauling produce, landed on its side, spilling its load across the highway.
Greyhound Passenger: Bus Resembled “Ripped Open Sardine Can”
The front of the Greyhound bus was severely damaged in the collision. while one passenger reported that a gaping hole had opened in its side.
“It was horrifying. Like, I’ve never actually seen in my life a bus look like a ripped open sardine can,” Rachel Cunningham told CBS News.
“My experience of what I’ve seen today, I mean, some stuff that I’ve only thought I’d end up seeing on TV.”
An unidentified witness told KQRE that “screams were coming from the bus”
“It was horrible there was people trying to climb out of the windows of the bus… bystanders trying to help people getting ladders out of their truck to get to windows of Greyhound bus to assist,” the witness said.
Officials Warn Death Toll Could Rise
The Greyhound bus had left St. Louis, Missouri on Wednesday morning and had made a stop in Albuquerque, New Mexico just 2 hours earlier.
The bus was on its way to Phoenix, Arizona with 49 passengers on board when the crash occurred.
It was scheduled to arrive in Los Angeles, California this morning.
At least 7 people have been confirmed dead, although officials have warned that the number of fatalities could rise.
The identities of those killed in the crash have not been released.
“As you can imagine, the scene down there is chaos, so it’s going to take investigators quite a while to go through and actually identify who was sitting where and who were the drivers and who were the passengers,” Officer Ray Wilson, a spokesperson for the New Mexico State Police, said during a media briefing on Thursday.
Over a Dozen Injured Greyhound Passengers Remain Hospitalized
Nearly all of those aboard the Greyhound bus – including 4 children – were taken to the hospital.
Gallup Indian Medical Center treated 37 people, including 6 who were later transferred to trauma centers.
As of this morning, 10 patients remained at Gallup, where at least 1 patient is listed in serious condition and 2 are critical.
The University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque reported that it had admitted 8 patients, with three more expected.
The 18-wheeler driver sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
Our Undefeated Bus Accident Lawyers Have Won Record-Setting Recoveries for Greyhound Passengers
Our Undefeated Bus Accident Attorneys have won the largest verdicts and settlements in Greyhound’s history.
Most recently, for example, our attorneys negotiated a $6 million settlement on behalf of several Greyhound passengers who were injured after a driver fell asleep at the wheel.
Greyhound agreed to settle the case after our attorneys obtained the first ever court-ordered overnight sleep study on a commercial bus driver in Texas, proving that the driver suffered from Moderate to Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea and was 7 times more likely to fall asleep while driving.
Our Record-Settling Settlement — which was widely covered by CBS Morning News and other media outlets throughout the United States – stands as #1 Largest Settlement in Greyhound’s History involving a fatigued driver.
The #1 Largest Verdict in the History of Greyhound
Our Undefeated Bus Accident Attorneys also won the # 1 largest verdict in Greyhound’s corporate history. — $18.8 million — on behalf of two passengers who were injured when the bus in which they were travelling rolled over on an icy road.
Contact Our Undefeated Bus Accident Lawyers for a Free Consultation by Calling 1-888-603-3636 or Click Here
Our Undefeated Bus Accident Lawyers are investigating the deadly Greyhound bus crash in New Mexico and will post additional updates as more information is made available.
Having won more than $1 billion for our clients, including hundreds of people throughout the United States who were injured or tragically killed in bus accidents, our Undefeated Bus Accident Lawyers have the resources and knowledge to successfully take on the largest bus companies in the world and ensure that our clients are fully compensated for all of their injuries and losses.
If you or someone you love were involved in the New Mexico Greyhound bus crash, and you have questions regarding your legal rights and options, call 1-888-603-3636 or Click Here to send us a confidential email through our “Contact Form.”
All consultations are free, and because we work exclusively for a contingency fee, you won’t pay us anything unless we win your case.