Montana Bus Crash Claims Two Lives, Leaves Dozens Injured


The Montana Highway Patrol reports that two people were killed and 33 others injured in an accident in which a passenger bus slid off an ice-slickened highway and crashed on Sunday.

According to MHP Sergeant Scott Hoffman, the bus, belonging to Rimrock Trailways, was traveling on icy interstate 90 (I-90) in western Montana when the driver apparently lost control and eventually the bus rolled onto its side.

“We had a bus traveling too fast for conditions,” Hoffman said, adding that police were still investigating how precisely the driver lost control of the bus. No other vehicles were known to be involved, he said.

Describing the scene following the crash, Hoffman said emergency crews found several passengers thrown from the bus while others were trapped under the vehicle.

“There were people lying everywhere seriously hurt. It was definitely one of the worst accidents I’ve seen.”

Reuters reports that there was black ice in the area where the bus crash occurred.

Dan Ronan, senior director of communications for the American Bus Association who was acting as a spokesman for Rimrock Stages, said the 53-year-old driver was among the survivors.

Though the driver’s name wasn’t released, Ronan said he had “a good safety record” and was “very familiar” with the route the bus was traveling on.

“He is a solid driver, with no issues of reliability,” Ronan told The Missoulian.

Following the horrible accident, Rimrock Trailways Vice President Eric Foreth issued a statement offering “condolences to the families of those passengers who lost their lives and those that were injured.”

“Rimrock Trailways is doing all it can to assist our passengers, who were hospitalized, need other travel connections and have been inconvenienced by this accident,” he said. “Rimrock Trailways will cooperate with local, state and federal authorities during the investigation as they look to find the cause of this accident.”

Here is local news clip with more details on the Montana bus crash:

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