By Deanna Boyd and Domingo Ramirez
Star-Telegram Staff Writers
Two people are dead and dozens injured after a charter bus carrying more than 30 people veered across Texas 161 in Irving, crashed into a concrete media and turned onto its side, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Forty-one people were taken to area hospitals after the 9:10 a.m. crash, according to the Irving Fire Department.At least "three or four" were in critical condition, according to Dr. Paul Pepe, chief of emergency medicine at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas.Irving Assistant Fire Chief Rusty Wilson said everyone had been removed from the bus.Eleven of the most seriously injured were taken to Parkland, which went to "Code Yellow," meaning all hands on deck and ready for casualties, according to hospital officials.At one point during the chaotic event, emergency crews could be heard searching for the severed arm of one passenger, who was being transported to Parkland.Sgt. Lonny Haschel, a DPS spokesman, said the bus was northbound on 161 at Belt Line Road when, for still unknown reasons, it veered right and struck a rubber barrier. The bus then careened left, traveling across two lanes and into a grassy area, where it struck and slide along a concrete barrier, ending up on its side."If it hadn't been for the concrete barrier, the bus would have been into the southbound lanes," Haschel said.It was not immediately clear how many people were aboard the bus. Initial reports ranged from "more than 30" to 45.Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board were headed to the scene, according to a Twitter post from the federal agency.Passengers said the bus, run by Cardinal Coach Lines, was headed to Choctaw Casino Resort in Durant, Okla., for a one-day gambling trip. Some passengers reportedly boarded in Fort Worth.One witness, Robert Hare, told NBC 5 that "bodies and blood" were everywhere and that people were stacked on top of each other, screaming for help. "There were older people," Hare said."People were stacked on top of each other," said Hare, who said he was on his way to work when he came upon the crash. "... It was pretty bad."A DART bus transported some patients to Baylor Medical Center in Irving. Six patients were taken to Las Colinas Medical Center in Irving, according to The Associated Press.Firefighters worked to free passengers trapped inside the bus. Other passengers were carried out on back boards or were sitting on blankets in the grass.As of 11 a.m., some passengers were still being assessed for injuries at the crash site. A mass casualty trailer was on the scene.Texas 161 was closed in both directions, and officials said it would remain closed indefinitely.The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration reported that Cardinal, which has a physical address in Grand Prairie, had no crashes in the past 24 months.In its last inspection, the company had two vehicles and one was out of service. In its last review, the company had a satisfactory rating, which meant the company had no safety deficiencies.The Internal Revenue Service placed a $59,643 lien on Cardinal Coach Line Inc. on Dec. 27, 2012.Staff writer Dustin Dangli and staff researcher Cathy Belcher contributed to this report.Deanna Boyd, (817) 390-7655Twitter: @deannaboyd Looking for comments?
Star-Telegram Staff Writers
Two people are dead and dozens injured after a charter bus carrying more than 30 people veered across Texas 161 in Irving, crashed into a concrete media and turned onto its side, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Forty-one people were taken to area hospitals after the 9:10 a.m. crash, according to the Irving Fire Department.At least "three or four" were in critical condition, according to Dr. Paul Pepe, chief of emergency medicine at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas.Irving Assistant Fire Chief Rusty Wilson said everyone had been removed from the bus.Eleven of the most seriously injured were taken to Parkland, which went to "Code Yellow," meaning all hands on deck and ready for casualties, according to hospital officials.At one point during the chaotic event, emergency crews could be heard searching for the severed arm of one passenger, who was being transported to Parkland.Sgt. Lonny Haschel, a DPS spokesman, said the bus was northbound on 161 at Belt Line Road when, for still unknown reasons, it veered right and struck a rubber barrier. The bus then careened left, traveling across two lanes and into a grassy area, where it struck and slide along a concrete barrier, ending up on its side."If it hadn't been for the concrete barrier, the bus would have been into the southbound lanes," Haschel said.It was not immediately clear how many people were aboard the bus. Initial reports ranged from "more than 30" to 45.Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board were headed to the scene, according to a Twitter post from the federal agency.Passengers said the bus, run by Cardinal Coach Lines, was headed to Choctaw Casino Resort in Durant, Okla., for a one-day gambling trip. Some passengers reportedly boarded in Fort Worth.One witness, Robert Hare, told NBC 5 that "bodies and blood" were everywhere and that people were stacked on top of each other, screaming for help. "There were older people," Hare said."People were stacked on top of each other," said Hare, who said he was on his way to work when he came upon the crash. "... It was pretty bad."A DART bus transported some patients to Baylor Medical Center in Irving. Six patients were taken to Las Colinas Medical Center in Irving, according to The Associated Press.Firefighters worked to free passengers trapped inside the bus. Other passengers were carried out on back boards or were sitting on blankets in the grass.As of 11 a.m., some passengers were still being assessed for injuries at the crash site. A mass casualty trailer was on the scene.Texas 161 was closed in both directions, and officials said it would remain closed indefinitely.The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration reported that Cardinal, which has a physical address in Grand Prairie, had no crashes in the past 24 months.In its last inspection, the company had two vehicles and one was out of service. In its last review, the company had a satisfactory rating, which meant the company had no safety deficiencies.The Internal Revenue Service placed a $59,643 lien on Cardinal Coach Line Inc. on Dec. 27, 2012.Staff writer Dustin Dangli and staff researcher Cathy Belcher contributed to this report.Deanna Boyd, (817) 390-7655Twitter: @deannaboyd Looking for comments?