Palm Springs, California: Thirteen people were killed when a tour bus slammed into the back of a big rig on Interstate 10 near Palm Springs on Sunday morning while the bus was carrying a group of passengers to Los Angeles after a trip to a casino near the Salton Sea.
Thirty-one people were injured in the the predawn crash, which shut down the westbound side of the freeway for much of the day.
Passengers were believed to be sleeping when the bus collided with the tractor-trailer truck shortly after 5 a.m., California Highway Patrol Chief Jim Abele said at a news conference.
“It was a substantial impact,” Abele said, explaining that the bus plowed 15 feet into the back of the truck.
A total of 44 passengers were aboard the bus. The bus driver was among those killed, Abele said. He described the survivors’ injuries as minor to moderate.
He said it was unclear why the bus was traveling at a much faster speed than the truck. It’s also unclear whether drugs or alcohol were involved, or whether fatigue was a factor, Abele said.
“Right now we’re looking at everything,” Abele told reporters.
He did not give the nationalities of the victims but said authorities were in contact with consular officials of Mexico, Japan and Australia. He said the driver of the truck survived and had minor injuries.
Officials with the National Transportation Safety Board were on their way to participate in the investigation.
The freeway was littered with mangled wreckage and the front of the bus was enveloped by the big rig’s trailer.
Dozens of firefighters swarmed the scene, struggling to reach victims. They used chainsaws to break open the vehicle and make their way into its front, even though it was clear there was barely any room to fit inside.
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