Party Bus Crash In California Kills 1, Injures 10

A party bus crash killed one person and injured 10 others on Highway 101 in California early Sunday morning.

The accident occurred around 2 am when the bus struck a car that had strayed onto the wrong side of the road. Authorities believe the 43-year-old driver may have lost control and ended facing the other way. The bus reportedly hit the car head on, killing a 36-year-old female passenger in the process.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the unidentified woman’s husband was listed in critical condition as of Sunday afternoon.

Although reports vary, it’s believed nine of the 18 people on board the bus were hospitalized as a result of the accident. Officials described their injuries as minor to moderate. It’s currently unknown how many of party bus passengers were wearing their seat belts at the time.

Police said the couple’s Honda coupe was facing northbound across two left lanes after Raul Padilla lost control of the vehicle. The party bus crashed into the car traveling southbound. The California Highway Patrol are investigating what may have caused the driver to lose control.

The Associated Press reports that Padilla admitted to having a few drinks with his wife earlier this evening. However, it’s unclear if alcohol played a role in the accident.

“If it is determined he was under the influence, he could face felony DUI charges and manslaughter charges,” California Highway Patrol Officer Art Montiel explained. He added that toxicology tests were being conduced to see how much the driver had consumed that evening.

Two other cars were also involved the party bus crash. However, both drivers were unharmed.

Police were forced to close down the southbound lanes of Highway 101 while the scene was cleaned up. The party bus was later taken to an impound lot. However, Montiel said he wasn’t sure which company owned the vehicle.

An investigation into what caused the party bus crash is still underway.

[Image via Shutterstock.com]