On Saturday, a charter bus was traveling to Eagle Pass, Texas when it crashed and rolled over, killing eight people and injuring 44 others. Seven of the individuals died at the scene of the accident on Highway 83 and one other died at the hospital. There were 52 total passengers on board.
According to reports, the driver of the bus lost control before it rolled over just north of Laredo, roughly halfway to their destination. Troopers stated that Saturday morning was a rainy one, but it was not certain whether the weather had any impact on the accident. The crash was also labeled a one vehicle accident so no other vehicles were involved.
The National Transportation Safety Board was expected to arrive on Sunday to begin their investigation of the crash.
The OGA Charters bus was traveling to the Lucky Eagle Casino in Eagle Pass when the accident occurred. Twenty-three of the injury victims were transported to Doctors Hospital, 15 to Laredo Medical Center, and seven to Dimmit County Hospital.
The accident is being labeled as one of the deadliest to occur in the state in recent years. Other accidents within the last decade include the January 2015 accident that killed two state corrections officers and eight inmates and the 2008 accident in which 17 passengers died after their bus fell off a highway bridge.
There are a number of causes for a bus driver to lose control of the vehicle and this will be a crucial piece in this case once determined. Unfortunately, accidents such as this are more common than we would like them to be and because of the size of a bus, accidents can result in serious injuries – or even death.
Local media tried to contact the charter bus company but they have no returned phone calls.