Tour bus crash kills at least 7 in California

Authorities continue their investigation at scene of tour bus crash that killed at least eight people and injured 38 people. The bus, left, was carrying group from Tijuana, Mexico when it collided with two other vehicles just north of Yucaipa, Calif. on Feb. 3, 2013. / AP

Last Updated 11:25 a.m. ET

YUCAIPA, Calif. At least seven people were killed and 38 injured Sunday when a tour bus careened out of control while traveling down a Southern California mountain road, struck a car, flipped and plowed into a pickup truck, authorities said.

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Calif. tour bus crash kills at least 8

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Tour bus crashes in Calif.

The accident occurred around 6:30 p.m. about 80 miles east of Los Angeles and left State Route 38 littered with debris, the bus sideways across the two lanes and its front end crushed.

Authorities lowered the death count from 8 to 7 on Monday.

Emergency crews worked to free passengers who were trapped in the bus, which was returning to Tijuana, Mexico, California Highway Patrol spokesman Mario Lopez said.

A representative of the Mexican consulate was on-scene, reports CBS Los Angeles Station KCBS, citing the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans).

The violence of the crash and severity of the injuries made for a chaotic scene, and authorities had a difficult time determining how many people were injured or killed. Lopez said at least seven and perhaps 10 were dead, and 38 transported to hospitals.

Caltrans spokeswoman Michelle Profant said the scene was shocking.

"It's really a mess up there with body parts," she said.

The bus driver survived and told investigators the bus suffered brake problems as it headed down the mountain, Lopez said. It rear-ended a sedan and flipped, then struck a pickup truck pulling a trailer.

Lettering on the bus indicated that it was operated by Scapadas Magicas LLC, a company based in National City, Calif. Federal transportation records show that the company is licensed to carry passengers for interstate travel and that it had no crashes in the past two years.

A call to the company was not immediately returned.

Jordi Garcia, a manager for InterBus Tours, said his company ran Sunday's trip. He told U-T San Diego that 38 people departed Tijuana at 5 a.m. for a day of skiing at Big Bear.

"The information that we have is that the bus' brakes failed and the accident occurred," he said.

Route 38 runs through the San Bernardino National Forest and leads to Big Bear. The accident occurred as the bus was headed south and leaving the forest.

Patients were taken to several area hospitals with injuries ranging from minor to life-threatening.

The National Transportation Safety Board said Monday it was sending a team to the crash.

The California crash comes less than a day after a bus carrying 42 high school students and their chaperones slammed into an overpass in Boston. Massachusetts state police said 35 people were injured and that the driver had directed the bus onto a road with a height limit.

[sciline]

Safety Rules IGNORED = Profits ASSURED
However, Safety Rules IGNORED = Disastrous Consequences also ASSURED!

[anjanettebolger]

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[jimarch01]

Oops! - I meant constitutional rights.

[koko98-2009]

Its a dangerous place. My Daughter was on that road on her way home from camp at about 10:00 in the morning. 38 is tough in a car. Buses really have to squeeze through. If the driver was having break issues it could have been a whole lot worse.

[lloydbest1]

I don't see anywhere in the article that maintenance records were checked. Were they?
From what I read, the brakes failed and an inquiring mind would want to know why. The driver may be an idiot but even an idiot can drive a bus on that road if he (or she) pays a modicum of attention and has a vehicle that is road worthy.

[MikemackSD]

The Bus Is A United States Bus.
It Is From Right Here In San Diego, California USA.
The Driver was a WHITE MAN. He is AMERICAN. Many Church Groups From the San Diego Area & Tijuana use this Charter Company for trips. Everyone On

[signseeker1717]

Thanks for posting. But don't expect facts to matter for people with agendas.

[superfly885]

People,

The road traveled was not designed for buses. The driver was an idiot, plain and simple. If you attempt to turn this into a political movement or anything else, you are just as dumb as he is. Please use common sense the next time you go to type something, because you are just making yourself look bad.

[jeffkro]

The driver might have been an idiot because of no oversight in Mexico.

[superfly885]

Please explain how "oversight" will stop a moron from driving a big bus down a steep, narrow and winding road?

[jeffkro]

I hope commercial buses and trucks from Mexico get heavy scrutiny from US regulators.

[1history]

It should be illegal to have more than 3 people in any vehicle! All vehicles with high caoacity seating must be registered and confiscated!

[MikemackSD]

It is a United States Bus Tour Company.
It Was Registered.

[worlhood]

There is no doubt that regulation is needed in bus transportation. Keep this in mind when you hear the rants about too much government and too much taxation. We, for very good reasons and with very positive results, regulate: railroads and trains, airplanes and air travel, mines, workplace safey, food safety, ships and shipping, highways and cars, trucks and trucking, children's products, hazardous products, house and building construction and on and on. All serve to make our country safer and our standard of living among the best in the world. All this costs money, lots of it. And every body of regulation has some laws and some applications that don't fit right or seem wrong. But this sort of regulation is what we expect in a modern, first class country and is essential to our quaility of life. We need to remember this when the Tea Parties (not surprising heavily funded by corporations in heavily reglated businesses and wealthy individals that want less regulation for more profit) fight for less government and allege our tax dollars are wasted. Sometime the tax dollar are and that waste should be stopped, but not in favor of less protection for our citizens and travelers.