Tuesday, August 2, 2016

At least 5 dead after a tour bus crashed into a highway pole on Highway 99 near Livingston, California















PHOTOS: Deadly tour bus crash on California's Highway 99
MERCED COUNTY, Calif. -- At least 5 people are dead after a tour bus crashed into a highway pole at 3:30 a.m. on Tuesday. See photos from the scene in the gallery above.



MERCED COUNTY
At least 5 dead in tour bus crash on Highway 99 near Livingston






All northbound lanes of Highway 99 are closed at the Liberty Avenue, Sultana Drive exit. CHP hopes to open at least one lane by 9 a.m. (KFSN)
All northbound lanes of Highway 99 are closed at the Liberty Avenue, Sultana Drive exit. CHP hopes to open at least one lane by 9 a.m.

Updated 41 mins ago

MERCED COUNTY, California (KFSN) -- The California Highway Patrol says the tour bus was carrying about 30 people when it crashed into a highway pole around 3:30 a.m. on Tuesday. The bus came to rest with the highway pole through the middle of it.








The California Highway Patrol says the tour bus was carrying about 50 people when it crashed into a highway pole at 3:30 a.m. on Tuesday August 2, 2016.
At least five people were killed and five others were airlifted to local hospitals. The CHP says that all rescue efforts are complete after at least four people were trapped inside the bus.




NEW: CHP says tour bus began in Mexico, made several stops. Eventual destination was Pasco, WA. 5 dead. Driver survived— Sontaya Rose (@SontayaRose) August 2, 2016
Survivors of the crash have been taken to the Merced area CHP office where they have been given food and water. CHP said the driver of the bus is Mario David Vasquez. He survived the crash, but suffered major injuries.

The crash happened on northbound Highway 99 at Liberty Avenue, between Atwater and Livingston. The bus started in Mexico and was traveling to Pasco, Washington. It had already made a stop in Los Angeles and the next scheduled stop was Livingston followed by Sacramento.