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Tour Bus Rollover in Highland, California: 21 Injured And Highway 30 Temporarily Closed From Highland To Running Springs

By Phyllis Asinyanbi
Published on: 11:21 PST, May 22, 2016

Updated 4:06 p.m., PDT, 5-23-2016 – More than two dozen people were taken to the hospital after the bus rollover. The bus crashed around 2:00 p.m. on Highway 30, north of Highland, on Sunday, May 22.

It has not been determined what caused the crash, but the California Highway Patrol is now investigating the bus brakes.

A tour bus rollover accident occurred on Highway 330 in Highland, California. About 50 individuals were on the bus.

Twenty-six people were hurt in the incident, which occurred at about 2:00 p.m., near Highland Avenue.

Per the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, Highway 330 has been closed from Highland to Running Springs. Officers have been assigned to staff roadblocks on Highway 330 because the crash has been listed as a mass casualty incident.

Social media posts indicate that the bus may have departed from Camp Cedar Crest, in Running Springs, but this has not been confirmed, according to ROTW News.

The San Bernardino County Fire Department reported that all the injured have been transported to area hospitals.

Two people were critically injured in the bus rollover. Four others received moderate injuries, and 20 had minor injuries, per ABC 7 News.

The closure of the highway was extended until passengers could be transported to the hospital and all debris was removed.

According to the California Highway Patrol, when emergency personnel arrived, there were women inside the bus screaming for help.

The San Bernardino County Fire Department stated that more than 20 suffered injuries and six were seriously hurt. After the California Highway Patrol took over, officials said 21 people were taken to the hospital after the bus rollover, but only four suffered from major injuries; none were life-threatening, per NBC Los Angeles.

A spokesperson from Iglesia De Cristo Ministerios Llamada Final Church, located in Downey, California stated that approximately 200 women were in a caravan of six buses. All were headed to a yearly women’s retreat in Big Bear.

Five buses were ahead of the last one that crashed. Passengers on the bus acknowledged the skill of the driver because of how she maneuvered the bus after striking a wall and rear ending a Nissan Versa. A passenger, Lesley Ortega said, “I think she’s a hero. I look up to her.” Ortega also added that is a large rock hadn’t been in their path, the bus would have gone over a cliff.

The bus was driven by 49-year-old Teresa Benitez, who lives in Paramount, California, added ROTW News. She was headed southbound on Highway 330 when the incident occurred.

Christoper Duce, 30, a resident of Los Angeles was the driver of the white Nissan Versa and was also headed southbound.

For reasons that are not clear, Benitez, while driving the church-owned bus, collided with the rear of Duce’s car and lost control of the bus.

Then, the bus rolled over and stopped, blocking traffic in both directions on SR-330. The five other large buses were chartered. They were not involved in the accident, and the passengers didn’t know what happened until fellow church members from the smaller, sixth bus began texting them.

All details now available have been added to this story.

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