Officials in Utah have narrowed down the possible causes of a deadly Greyhound bus crash that took the life of a teenage girl on New Year’s Eve.
According to the Utah Highway Patrol, investigators from the State Bureau of Investigations believe that fatigue or a possible medical episode experienced by the Greyhound driver may have led to the tragic crash, which tragically killed one passenger and injured at least 12 others.
911 Calls Suggest Greyhound Driver Dozed Off or Passed Out at the Wheel
Transcripts of 911 calls made by panicked passengers indicate that the Greyhound driver may have dozed off or passed out just prior to the crash.
The Highway Patrol has interviewed all injured passengers “who are conscious”. The driver, who suffered a skull fracture, has not been interviewed and remains in the hospital.
Investigators plan to review surveillance tape from an onboard camera in the coming days. They will also be examining data from the vehicle’s onboard computer (ECM device) to determine its speed and braking just before the crash.
Teenage Passenger Tragically Killed and Others Seriously Injured
The New Year’s Eve crash occurred around 11:00 p.m., as the Greyhound bus was travelling along a desert section of I-70, on its way from Denver, Colorado to Las Vegas, Nevada. The vehicle had made a stop in nearby Green River, Utah for a driver shift change shortly before the accident.
Fourteen people, including the driver, where aboard the bus when it suddenly drifted off the shoulder near mile-marker 113. The vehicle plunged into a deep wash, the impact crushing the front of the bus.
Road conditions at the time of the crash were good and the weather was clear. The only witnesses to the accident were those aboard the Greyhound bus, as no other vehicles were in area at the time.
A 13-year-old girl from Southern California was pronounced dead at the scene. Her mother was also injured.
At least 12 passengers were injured, many of whom sustained fractures and neck and back injuries.
Phone Calls From Passengers Illustrate Extreme Panic and Fear Among Passengers Following the Crash
Passengers were forced to flee the mangled vehicle through the windows. Some were rendered unconscious immediately after the crash and had to be assisted from the Greyhound bus by other passengers.
911 transcripts released yesterday by the Utah Highway Patrol vividly reflect the horror and confusion many of them experienced in the moments after the accident.
“I was sleeping and the bus started shaking,” one panicked woman told a dispatcher.
“The driver passed out and we went in a ditch,” a man is heard saying in the background.
“Please, please, please help us,” the woman pleads. “I don’t know where we are.”
The obviously disoriented caller repeatedly told the dispatcher “My brain hurts really bad” and “I don’t want to die, please don’t let me die.”
The tapes also highlight the difficulty dispatchers had in pinpointing the scene of the accident.
Dispatcher: “I’m struggling to find your location, is there a mile marker that you’re by?”
Caller: “It’s just a street, it’s dark street.”
Dispatcher: “Does anybody know where we are?”
Caller: “No”
Two truck drivers who stopped to assist the crash victims were finally able to tell dispatchers the exact location of the crash.
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Our Undefeated Bus Accident Attorneys are investigating the deadly Utah crash and will post further updates when new information becomes available.
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