14 Killed In Texas Bus Crash

Investigators Say The Bus Was Not In Compliance With Safety Standards

(CBS/ AP)  A charter bus carrying Vietnamese worshippers on a pilgrimage slammed onto its side and off a highway north of Dallas early Friday, killing at least 14 people and injuring more than 40, authorities said.

The bus skidded across a guard rail before sliding off U.S. 75 on the other side of a bridge over a creek. The right front tire of the bus carrying 55 people from Houston to Missouri blew out.

Investigators say the blown tire had been refitted with a new tread in violation of safety standards.

The National Transportation Safety Board also said late Friday that the driver was a 52-year-old who had a commercial license but whose medical certification had expired.

Authorities say the bus was operating illegally earlier in the day when the right front tire blew. The vehicle smashed into a guardrail and tipped over.

"There were people deceased from the front of the bus to the back of the bus," Officer Zachary Flores, one of the first on the scene, told The Dallas Morning News.

Workers were cleaning debris and gathering personal effects, including a blood-soaked pillow, a lone sandal, luggage and scattered pieces of clothing. There were blood spots on grass near where authorities had lined up six white body bags shortly after the accident.

The bus came to rest on its right side, partly on the northbound lane of the freeway and partly on grass. Workers righted the wreckage and loaded it onto a flatbed truck.

"Please pray for us," said Holly Nguyen, 38, a church member who was following behind the bus in a car but didn't see the wreck. She was anxiously waiting for word on whether her father, who was on the bus, was dead or injured.

Fire Chief Jeff Jones said 12 people died on the scene. Another two have died in hospitals. At least six more were hospitalized in critical condition.

"I saw crushing wounds," Jones said, "but there were very few walking wounded."

The identities or ages of the crash victims weren't immediately available, but police Lt. Steve Ayers said there were children on board.

Investigators have interviewed the bus driver and he is in stable condition, Ayers said. Roads were dry at the time of the tragedy.

National Transportation Safety Board investigators were on the scene. Their investigation could take up to 18 months.

The accident happened less than a mile from the spot where a trucker crossed the median and killed 10 people five years ago.

The injured were rushed by road and air to several hospitals. Northbound traffic on the highway was shut down as ambulances and helicopters used the roadway and median to ferry the injured to hospitals.

Many of those on the bus were from the Vietnamese Martyrs Church of Houston and were on their way to a religious festival in Carthage, Mo.

Mary Nguyen, a member of the church for over 10 years, was at the church because she wanted to be near other parishioners after learning early Friday that a close friend had died.

Nguyen said she actually had planned to meet her friend, who canceled because of the trip. She began sobbing as she described the dream that kept waking her up, in which she was on a trip with the friend then opened a suitcase and saw dead bodies.

"I feel so sorry because she's dead ... she was just a very good person," she said. "The church is like one big family here. We're very close. We stick together."

Tinh Trinh, a church member for 20 years, said he was waiting to hear how one of his wife's friends was doing.

"I myself cried this morning when I heard the news," said Trinh, one of only a few people at the large brick church early Friday.

The Marian Days pilgrimage, which started in the late 1970s in southwest Missouri, attracts thousands of Catholic Vietnamese Americans each year. Many attend a large outdoor mass each day while enjoying entertainment and camping throughout the city at night.

The accident was the worst bus wreck in Texas since 23 people died when a bus carrying nursing home residents fleeing from Hurricane Rita was rocked by several explosions after catching fire on a gridlocked highway near Dallas.

Sherman is about 65 miles north of Dallas.

[fabrat1]

LloydBest1 Thanks I hadn''t read the paper yet today so I wasn''t aware they had such a great story on it. Could you possibly be from my area? Today they are still there in some white trucks going over the accident site. It''s so sad.

[lloydbest1]

Posted by fabrat1 at 12:10 PM : Aug 10, 2008
The Sunday edition of the local newspaper also has the death toll at 17.

www.herald-democrat.com/

[fabrat1]

The death count is now up to 17 people. I know cbs hasn''t updated the story but my local station has of course since it happened in my home town. They also say the death count may still go up because there are several critical patients here at our local hospital and more critical patients at other hospitals in the area. I hope that the charter company will have to pay for every life lost that horrible morning.

[messiahx4eve]

My understanding of this was a WRONG sized USED tire was used instead of what was called for by the manufacturer. I guess it was worth the lives of these people for a few extra dollars in savings. So take the cost of a used tire; divide it by 14, and there you will have the value of each life lost by this company. Now you know why I gave up christianity a long time ago. The truth doesn''t set you free, it only makes you a slave to others ignorance & stupidity. God has left the building.

[fabrat1]

lambor59 you''re such an IDIOT!!! You have NO facts on Priests and your comment is rediculous! The fact is EVERY human was created by God and this is a very sad event. At this very moment they are still on the scene trying to collect the remainder of the evidence and I still have to go more than a mile out of my way to get home because of it. This was a very sad scene and one I hope to never see again!

[stevenga777]

Edwards is rich. Why not just take the paternity test and if it is his child pay child support and be part of the child''s life???

[demwatcher]

"Hey cletus - I see you''''re still too busy scratching and wobbling your fat yellow belly to waddle over to Iraq or Afghanistan or even the the texASS / Mexico border to defend TexASS

Guess what they say about TexASSans is true - the only thing bigger than a TexASSan''''s talk is his fat yellow belly and the deep yellow streaks down his TexASSan back.

Posted by causeway_m at 07:18 PM : Aug 08, 2008"

causeway_m MUST be a Democrat. This person just exudes charm and compassion, and is obviously concerned with inclusion, and has not a discriminatory bone in their body.

[zerato-2009]

It was a terrible tragedy that happened in my area. It is very sad to hear of so many died and so many injured. My condolences goes out to family.

It is a shame that such a tragedy brings persons to this story that have ulterior motives and begin needless arguments for their own enjoyment

[fabrat1]

This happened just 4 blocks from my home. The sound of the crash woke me from a sound sleep. The scene was something you can''t discribe. Stop argueing and pray for these people.

[causeway_m]

Hey cletus - I see you''re still too busy scratching and wobbling your fat yellow belly to waddle over to Iraq or Afghanistan or even the the texASS / Mexico border to defend TexASS

Guess what they say about TexASSans is true - the only thing bigger than a TexASSan''s talk is his fat yellow belly and the deep yellow streaks down his TexASSan back