Published on : Friday, August 31, 2018
The preliminary information indicated the semi was headed east when it blew a tyre, sending the articulated rig across the median and into oncoming traffic where it smashed into the bus, New Mexico State Police said.
There were 49 people aboard the Greyhound bus. The authorities said many were transported to hospitals.
Nine bus passengers were being treated at University of New Mexico Hospital with three more patients expected to be transported there later Thursday. UNM officials didn’t release any details about the patients’ conditions. The motorists described a chaotic scene with passengers on the ground and people screaming.
Eric Huff was heading to the Grand Canyon with his girlfriend when they came across the crash.
Huff said the semi’s trailer was upside down and “shredded to pieces,” and the front of the Greyhound bus was smashed, with many of the seats pressed together. Part of the side of the bus was torn off, he said.
Truck driver Santos Soto III shot video showing the front of the Greyhound sheared off and the semi split open, with its contents strewn across the highway. He saw people sobbing on the side of the road as bystanders tried to comfort them.
Chris Jones was headed west on Interstate 40 when he caught his first glimpse of the semi turned over. He saw the rest of the wreckage and stopped to help before coming across the driver of the semi sitting on the shoulder of the highway. Greyhound said the bus was heading from Albuquerque to Phoenix.
The crash occurred near the town of Thoreau. It forced the closure of westbound lanes of the interstate and traffic was backing up as travellers were diverted.
The terrible scene began around 12:30 p.m. when a semi truck was traveling eastbound along Interstate 40 in McKinley County and it blew a tire. The driver lost control of the vehicle, which crossed the median and struck the westbound bus.