Charter company says bus in Arkansas crash was just sold to private driver
Six people were killed when a bus bearing the Continental Charters logo crashed into a bridge.
After a foggy night in Arkansas, a charter bus ran off Interstate 40 and collided with a bridge, resulting in six dead and others injured.
Police reports confirm the crash was a single-vehicle accident and occurred late Thursday night.
Initial reports from Arkansas State Troopers say there are as many as six deaths in an early morning charter bus collision along Interstate 40 in North Little Rock at the North Hills Boulevard overpass. Multiple individuals who sustained injuries have also been transported from the scene by ambulance.
The single vehicle crash was reported to state troopers about 1 AM today (Friday, November 6th ). The charter bus was traveling westbound.
The bus left the roadway west of the I-40 and U.S. Highway 167 interchange and collided with an abutment of the North Hills overpass.
Westbound I-40 traffic near the crash scene was initially diverted through North Little Rock to the north interchange of Interstates 30 and 40. By 3 AM, one westbound lane through the crash scene area had been opened to traffic.
Troopers diverted traffic to city streets through North Little Rock as they closed lanes for the accident. Traffic was backed up for hours, but the roads and traffic were cleared by morning.
The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences have reported they have received three patients connected to the accident. Two were treated and released while the third is currently being held at the hospital, but in fair condition, the UAMS told the Associated Press.
KTHV, a Little Rock, Ark., television station, tweeted that bus passengers were on a business trip.
Photos from the scene show the Detroit-based Continental Charters in bold letters on the side of the white bus.
The owner of the charter company told Michigan's WDIV-TV that the bus involved in the accident had been sold to a private driver from Florida with Vasquez Citrus Hauling. The Continental logo was supposed to have been removed before the bus was operated, the television station reported. The owner of Continental Charters also said the new owner told them the bus would be used to transport migrant workers between Michigan, Florida, and Texas.
The names of the driver, passengers, and those injured have yet to be released. Arkansas Red Cross is working with individuals who were injured but not taken by ambulance.
This report includes material from The Associated Press.