Miley Cyrus Tour Bus Crash Kills 1

Driver Dead after Vehicle Overturned; "Hannah Montana" Star Not on Board at Time of Accident

(CBS/ AP)  Updated at 3:50 p.m. EST

The driver of Miley Cyrus' tour bus was killed Friday when the vehicle overturned on a Virginia highway, reports CBS affiliate WTVR in Richmond.

The 16-year-old "Hannah Montana" star was not on board.

Sgt. Thomas Molnar said the bus ran off the left side of Interstate 85, struck an embankment and overturned. The accident occurred around 8:15 a.m. in Dinwiddie County, about 40 miles south of Richmond. Speed and weather weren't considered factors.

The driver, William G. Douglas, 53, of Austin, Texas, died at the scene, police said.

Marty Zilio, 48, of Canada, was injured in the crash and treated at a local hospital. He was one of nine members of Cyrus' production crew who were riding in the bus. They escaped the crashed bus through the front windshield.

Miley Cyrus
"Best of Both Worlds"

The Cyrus family said on her Web site that they were "deeply saddened by the loss of Bill 'Uncle Bill' Douglas" and that he would be missed.

"Members of our tour are like members of our family," the statement said.

A wrecker arrived late Friday morning to haul away the black and maroon luxury tour bus, which was on its side in a ditch off the highway where it had apparently skidded for several hundred feet.

The bus was hauled by the wrecker up to the next exit off I-85, where two other tour buses and members of the tour were waiting. About two dozen members of the tour, some still wearing pajama bottoms, began transferring backpacks and laptops from the wrecked bus into two other buses parked outside a restaurant. They declined to speak to reporters.

Molnar said the bus was one of four traveling together after the singer's two-show stint Wednesday and Thursday in Long Island, N.Y. The group was heading to Greensboro, N.C., where she is scheduled to perform Sunday. Cyrus was not traveling with the group at the time of the crash, authorities said.

Miley Cyrus is the daughter of country star Billy Ray Cyrus, who also appears on the family friendly Disney sitcom "Hannah Montana."

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

[Dgunner]

Any time some dies early in thier life or because of stupidity. It is so apparrent thier are things we cannot control that result in things we don't want . While half the posters here were typing thier opinions 500 children in the sudan dropped dead where they standing but now are lying.They only sang songs of hope and faith. The mans employer is a american entertainer.The children of sudan sing no songs and have no more tears.Like the lakota nation of the american native.Slaughtered like rabid animals to the near point of extinction yet We hear no songs and read no reports.

[Sparrowmg]

Thats kind of random though, but really shes a hoe anyway. Some people would've wanted her to die. She looks like a girbul in the next picture.<br /><br />You people should be more focused on the cause's of the earth..<br />And trying to solve earth problems instead miley cyrus i no that shes fanned alot but im just saying who cares?

[bubbadubba]

*********.com is listed as a malware attack site.

[tknotts57]

You are all a bunch of idiots. Any time someone gets hurt or killed you need to pray to God. No matter who it is. We are all human. I pray that God will forgive you for dragging someone down that you know nothing about. Ask God to be with this family and help bring them peace.

[Ichabod09]

And what sort of prayer will you be wanting for that obvious holier than thou attitude yur kicking around kiddo?

[cbsblogger]

Entertainers such as Miley Cyrus have oddly been given rights to become the elite of the world. <br /><br />Of course she doesn't ride on buses like her production crew. She flies in on private very expensive jets. Miley represents what is now the aristocracy and her crew the proletariat. Americans are forced to pay tribute/taxes to subsidize her entertainment venues so she may have riches beyond all expectations.<br /><br />We have become a stupid foolish society where the few receive it all and the many idiots worship the ground that the elite walk upon. The promoters and the elite entertainers receive income without limits. Those common folk who merely rub elbows stupidly believe they have been touched by goddesses and miracles. <br /><br />We've become a society of fools.

[incog-nito]

You sound bitter.

[mari1963]

I could not agree with you more. Billy Ray Cyrus got two women pregnant at the same time in 1992 and no one talks about that. As far as I am concerned he is disgusting. Miley Cyrus is shallow and materialistic. Why they are on the Disney channel is beyond me. Both of these "stars" are out of touch with reality. Thanks for saying what needed to be said.

[rwsmith29456]

People got hurt and one was killed. Miley was nowhere near and I wish these people were somehwere else at the time, too.

[bringbackmfg]

This poor driver. At 53 years old I bet he was making next to nothing to cart her boney little teen butt around. As if she has real talent and is worthy of having a tour bus and millions of dollars.

[DennisinSF]

BUT OH MY GOD, SHE COULD Have BEEN ON THE BUS!!! <br />This is an emergency! <br /> <br />That was TOO CLOSE!!! <br /> <br />I only hope you can smell sarcasm

[Ichabod09]

The big question is, was Miley driving?

[mutnauq4842]

Naw Ichy,<br /> seems the driver didn't make it.

[seafang]

I wonder why CBNS is able to find this piece of non-news; but seems unable to find out anything about the leak of hacked computer information; from a well known British climate data site, that shows evidence of a giant conspiracy with many promionent american scientists involved to hype the phony man made global warming idea that Al Gore promotes. This is the biggest news story since the famous Pentagon Papers; yet somehow CBS has heard nothing about it. <br /> <br />Why is that ?

[pete_in_az]

What bunker do you live in?

[Oregon_State_OSU]

Oh MY God <br /> <br />Not Hanna Montana what will the World Do Now ?

[I_am_me1953]

Not to worry, Hanna is safe.