Pocono News Section

41 People Hurt in Bus Rollover Accident

41 People Hurt in Bus Rollover Accident - Sunday, February 24, 2008 at 11:08PM EST

Reported by: Eric Deabill
Sunday, Feb 24, 2008 @11:08pm EST
COVINGTON TOWNSHIP, LACKAWANNA COUNTY - Almost three dozen people were taken to the hospital after a Greyhound bus rolled over Sunday morning in Lackawanna County.

The accident happened on Interstate 380 Northbound near exit 20, which is the Daleville exit, around 4:00 AM Sunday morning. Police say 54 people were on the bus en route to Syracuse, New York. At least 41 of them had to be taken to local hospitals with one person being life-flighted. Two people are still in serious condition.

People who survived the accident say most of the passengers were sleeping.

"We felt a jerk and that is when the driver lost control and it definately spun out, at least one full circle, maybe one and a-half and then went into the median of the road and the bus flipped over," survivor Krista Kat of Toronto said.

Kat took pictures and video of the accident with her digital camera, moments after climbing out a broken window.

"People were just crying and calling people and it was just like a frantic scene," Kat said.

Janaya Martin was injured in the crash. She was taken to the hospital.

"I just remember the bus driver was going fast and he swerved. I closed my eyes and opened them again and the bus was flipping over," Martin said.

Martin said the accident happened in an instant.

"We had to climb under the seat and then climb out the window," Martin remembered.

All of the passengers were taken to five area hospitals. The American Red Cross will assist the other 13 at a local firehouse.

Investigators are still trying to figure out what caused the crash and are trying to determine if black ice played a role in the accident.