CA - Fed-Ex truck slams head-on into bus full of students

popsicle

faith hope love
Joined
Mar 16, 2009
Messages
22,113
Reaction score
297
The students were headed to visit Humboldt State University for a weekend college tour

Ten people were killed and 34 injured when a tour bus carrying Los Angeles-area high school students crashed in Northern California on Thursday evening, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The students were set to visit Humboldt State University for a college tour. CHP officials said among the dead are five students, three chaperones and and two truck drivers.

snip

The FedEx truck was heading south when it crossed the center line and hit the northbound bus head-on, causing the bus to erupt into flames, CHP officials said. The reason the FedEx crashed or how the Nissan was involved was not clear.

http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/n...254835921.html?_osource=SocialFlowTwt_DCBrand
 
NTSB Twitter

NTSB is sending a Go-Team to Northern California to investigate a bus crash that occurred yesterday. Team expected to arrive in morning.

1:32 AM - 11 Apr 2014
 
I've received alerts from KFI 640 AM on the crash:

KFIAM640: Continuing coverage of the deadly tour bus/big rig crash in NorCal live on KFI. (Yesterday)

(Just now: )
KFIAM640: 10 people killed in the bus crash north of Sacramento. 5 are students. LAUSD says no word yet on the status of its students in the crash.
www.kfiam640.com


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
The collision Thursday evening killed both drivers, five students and three chaperones.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/11/us/california-bus-crash/

Several other patients remained in critical condition at area hospitals. Another patient admitted into the medical center was in critical condition as of about 3 a.m. Enloe Medical Center in Chico said it had received a total of 11 patients from the scene and that, as of 2 a.m. Friday, two of the patients were in critical condition. Four were in fair condition, and five had been discharged, the medical center said in a statement, adding that all the admitted patients were passengers on the bus.

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/...-crash-20140411,0,5323305.story#ixzz2yaX3eauu

Many of the more than 40 students on board escaped through a window that someone had kicked open, running for their lives to the other side of Interstate 5 before hearing an explosion and seeing the bus burst into flame.

http://www.wtsp.com/story/news/2014/04/10/9-killed-in-california-bus-truck-crash/7580459/
 
This is just so tragic and horrific for those students and all the families stricken by this. :tears:
 
I just read about this on my home page, VERY SAD :( Prayers for all involved. I know accidents happen but I can't help wonder what caused the Fed Ex truck to collide with the bus. :(
 
What a terrible horrendous tragedy R.I.P to all the students and adults who have died. My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of those who have died and the survivors. It is events like this that remind me not to take life for granted we are here one minute and gone the next with no warning.

It is the lead story in the Daily Mail website the fire was horrific it is so sad.

"Massive flames could be seen devouring both vehicles just after the afternoon smash, and clouds of black smoke billowed into the sky until firefighters had quenched the fire, leaving behind scorched black hunks of metal. Bodies were draped in yellow plastic inside the burned-out bus.
Both drivers were killed, along with four chaperones on the school bus and five students, CBS reported. Nearly 50 teenagers were aboard the bus, which was carrying students from different Los Angeles-area schools to tour Humboldt State University, as well as four chaperones and the driver."


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-crash-slammed-charter-bus.html#ixzz2yabAnbQl
 
ABC7 reports the FedEx truck may have been attempting to avoid a Nissan Altima, triggering the chain of events yesterday.

(snip)
The collision happened between Sacramento and Redding, west of Chico, at about 5:40 p.m. The FedEx truck was traveling southbound when it crossed into northbound traffic and struck a Nissan Altima, then the tour bus, California Highway Patrol officials said.

Investigators said the truck may have been trying to avoid the Altima when it collided with the bus.


http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/state&id=9500165


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
These students were on a chartered bus to CSUH, making plans for their futures. These are the students you don't often hear about in the LAUSD, when discussing education. They are the ones who are doing everything right.

It is beyond heartbreaking that they met such a horrific tragedy, when they should have been enjoying climbing another rung of academic achievement and success.

I am left with no answers here. As a parent who participates as a chaperone every chance I get, I know it's because I want to be there, in part to protect my child (and every child).

The fact of the matter is, we can't always do that, and this is terrifying to me (just being honest here).

Condolences to the lives lost, especially the students! :tears: They were on the precipice of so much, and now they're gone. Their loss is overwhelming. May everyone affected find the strength to heal. These events are life-changing, and I pray something good can come from all of this.

:rose:


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
A high school friend of mine is posting about this on FB. He lives in the area and said many high schools are involved.
 
ABC7 reports the FedEx truck may have been attempting to avoid a Nissan Altima, triggering the chain of events yesterday.

(snip)
The collision happened between Sacramento and Redding, west of Chico, at about 5:40 p.m. The FedEx truck was traveling southbound when it crossed into northbound traffic and struck a Nissan Altima, then the tour bus, California Highway Patrol officials said.

Investigators said the truck may have been trying to avoid the Altima when it collided with the bus.


http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/state&id=9500165


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This explanation sounds very reasonable to me. I cant count the times I have seen private vehicles pull out right on top of semis who were fully loaded and zig zag in right in front of their front bumper. I honestly don't know what these kind of people could be thinking. Anyone with a dab of common sense would know a 80,000 pound machine cant stop on a dime. It isn't like a huge semi cant be seen coming down the road.

I have seen semis have to take to the medium several times to avoid running right over the top of a vehicle that had swerved right in on them, giving them no time to stop. I have never understood the mindset of these kind of vehicle drivers. Are people just that clueless and dumb? Evidently so because so many private vehicles driving recklessly have cause semi truck drivers to wreck.

I have even seen some of these nut jobs come right out of a side road right in the path of the semi that is going 60-65 miles an hour on the main road and he/she has to lock his/her breaks down in order to not kill the crazy driver and other occupants.

Just two weeks ago in my local area a person pulled right into the path of a semi and he couldn't stop in time (although he tried his best) and ran right over the vehicle with a family of four inside. When the police arrived the poor driver was on his knees crying his heart out.:(

And if the Fed-Ex driver was trying to avoid hitting the Altima he would still be going the speed limit because he tried to quickly react to the situation when he left the road, and onto the medium, and it most likely caused him to lose control of the vehicle.

I am glad that LE is aware of the Altima, and if they are the ones that recklessly caused this tragic accident to happen, I hope they are held fully accountable to the fullest extent of the law.:mad:

It is like some idiots like to play Russian roulette with an 80,000 pound machine. SMH

God be with everyone at this tragic time.
 
The Sacramento Bee is one of my favorite newspapers. They have a reputation of in-depth stories and great follow ups.

Survivors recount fiery crash
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/04/11/6316038/survivor-recounts-fiery-crash.html

CHP investigating I-5 crash that killed 10
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/04/11/6316032/chp-investigating-i-5-crash-that.html

The 2nd story has just been updated at 8:00 a.m. local time. The 1st fatality has been identified. I am in :tears: again.

RIP Mr. Arzola. You will be missed.
:rose:

(snip)

The bus was one of three taking southern California high school students to an event at Humboldt State University, and the school’s website lists an Arthur Arzola as a counselor and recruiter based in that region. Humboldt State officials could not be reached early today.

Arzola died after being taken to the UC Davis Medical Center with burns over 95 percent of his body. The California Highway Patrol told The Sacramento Bee today that the dead were five students, the drivers of the truck and the bus and three chaperones.


http://www.sacbee.com/2014/04/11/6316032/chp-investigating-i-5-crash-that.html#storylink=cpy


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
This explanation sounds very reasonable to me. I cant count the times I have seen private vehicles pull out right on top of semis who were fully loaded and zig zag in right in front of their front bumper. I honestly don't know what these kind of people could be thinking. Anyone with a dab of common sense would know a 80,000 pound machine cant stop on a dime. It isn't like a huge semi cant be seen coming down the road.

I have seen semis have to take to the medium several times to avoid running right over the top of a vehicle that had swerved right in on them, giving them no time to stop. I have never understood the mindset of these kind of vehicle drivers. Are people just that clueless and dumb? Evidently so because so many private vehicles driving recklessly have cause semi truck drivers to wreck.

I have even seen some of these nut jobs come right out of a side road right in the path of the semi that is going 60-65 miles an hour on the main road and he/she has to lock his/her breaks down in order to not kill the crazy driver and other occupants.

Just two weeks ago in my local area a person pulled right into the path of a semi and he couldn't stop in time (although he tried his best) and ran right over the vehicle with a family of four inside. When the police arrived the poor driver was on his knees crying his heart out.:(

And if the Fed-Ex driver was trying to avoid hitting the Altima he would still be going the speed limit because he tried to quickly react to the situation when he left the road, and onto the medium, and it most likely caused him to lose control of the vehicle.

I am glad that LE is aware of the Altima, and if they are the ones that recklessly caused this tragic accident to happen, I hope they are held fully accountable to the fullest extent of the law.:mad:

It is like some idiots like to play Russian roulette with an 80,000 pound machine. SMH

God be with everyone at this tragic time.

I thought the Altima was going the same direction as the tour buses. The article states that the fedex truck crossed the median, then in an attempt to avoid hitting the Altima, slammed into the bus.

ETA: and another article states that the fedex truck did hit the Altima before it crashed into the bus
 
The NTSB and CHP will be able to get to the bottom of the accident reconstruction. There are plenty of witnesses, in addition to those who were in the bus.

If the Altima triggered the accident due to reckless driving, I don't necessarily expect the driver to 'fess up. However, anyone else who saw him/her should be willing to paint that picture.

As oceanblueeyes stated, and I've seen it myself in the Bay Area and LA, people don't respect the stopping distances required for semi trucks/tractor trailers. They see the "opening" and dart in all the time. It's crazy out on the roads, and if the truck drivers rear end them, I imagine they would be at least partially at fault, otherwise, they wouldn't take such drastic evasive maneuvers (as going to the shoulder, etc.).

It's insanity, and I don't know that it's ever going to change.

:twocents:


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I thought the Altima was going the same direction as the tour buses. The article states that the fedex truck crossed the median, then in an attempt to avoid hitting the Altima, slammed into the bus.

ETA: and another article states that the fedex truck did hit the Altima before it crashed into the bus

Authorities said the crash occurred when a FedEx truck traveling southbound on I-5 lost control, sliced through the center divider, slightly hit a passenger vehicle and then ran head on into the bus.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2014/04/11/6316032/chp-investigating-i-5-crash-that.html#storylink=cpy

That's what it sounded like to me too. That the FedEx truck crossed the median, and grazed the Altima before it ran into the bus head on.
 
One of the 10 victims was identified Friday.

Eleven people were taken to Enloe Medical Center, two of those patients were listed in critical condition Friday morning.

Seven people were hospitalized at other facilities,two of them were in critical condition and five others in fair condition.

Eight crash survivors spent the night at the American Red Cross shelter in Orland.

http://www.tribtown.com/view/story/c52ce500acb24bed94794fc68442c46e/US--California-Bus-Crash

:please:
 

Members online

Online statistics

Members online
73
Guests online
904
Total visitors
977

Forum statistics

Threads
589,923
Messages
17,927,726
Members
228,002
Latest member
zipperoni
Back
Top