Authorities reported three people were ki!!ed and at least 14 others were injured when a Greyhound bus collided with tractor-trailers parked on the side of the highway in southern Illinois early Wednesday.
According to Illinois State Police, the incident happened soon before 2 a.m. on the westbound side of Interstate 70 in Madison County.
An initial investigation “indicates a Greyhound passenger bus with passengers was traveling westbound on Interstate 70 and struck three commercial motor vehicles parked on the exit ramp to the Silver Lake Interstate 70 westbound rest area,” state police said in a statement. You can check the tweet below:
Around 2 am a Greyhound bus traveling west on I-70 struck 3 commercial motor vehicles parked on the exit ramp to Silver Lake rest area, Highland, IL. 3 fatalities confirmed and multiple others taken to a hospital with serious injuries. Traffic down to one lane I-70 near exit. pic.twitter.com/I2RmKVfQTs
— IllinoisStatePolice (@ILStatePolice) July 12, 2023
“Three fatalities are confirmed and multiple others were taken to a hospital with serious injuries, four by helicopter and at least 10 by ambulance,” the statement said.
Melaney Arnold, a state police spokesman, stated that all of the casualties were on the bus. Authorities refused to reveal their identities. The passenger bus, schedule number 1675, was going from Indianapolis to St. Louis, according to a statement issued by Greyhound on Wednesday.
“Multiple passengers, including our driver, have been transported to the hospital,” it said. “Our primary concern is ensuring we care for our passengers and driver at this time. We are working closely with local authorities.”
The crash closed westbound lanes and a ramp to the rest area until about noon Wednesday, state police said in a tweet. You can see the tweet below:
UPDATE at approx. 11:59 a.m.: All westbound lanes and the ramp to the rest area are open. This is an open and ongoing investigation. No further information is available at this time. We will disseminate updated information as it becomes available. (1/2)
— IllinoisStatePolice (@ILStatePolice) July 12, 2023
Photos and television footage show the bus’s side torn open and its roof crumpled. The bus was slated to arrive in St. Louis around 2:20 a.m., according to Greyhound spokesperson Mike Ogulnick. He estimated that it was carrying roughly 30 people, including the driver.
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According to Ogulnick, another bus was dispatched to transport passengers who were not injured. Trucks are not permitted to park on exit ramps in Illinois. However, trucking industry insiders say tractor-trailers frequently stay there because overnight parking at rest stations and truck stops might be difficult to come across.
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