BERNALILLO, New Mexico (KTSM) - Three people are dead and 24 sent to several hospitals after an El Paso passenger bus crashes just north of Albuquerque.
The scene of the wreck stretched out about 100 yards on I-25. It involved a semi truck, a car, a pickup truck and an El Paso passenger bus.
"This is definitely one of the worst accidents I've seen in my career," said James Maxon, the Sandoval County Fire Department Chief.
The Sandoval County Sheriff's Office said it started around 2 a.m. Sunday, about 10 miles north of Albuquerque, with a car rear-ending a pickup, "causing the pickup truck to cross the barrier cable in the median of the interstate, coming to a stop facing north of I-25," said Lt. Keith Elder with the Sandoval County Sheriff's Office.
The driver was thrown from the car, which reportedly stopped on I-25 with no lights on.
The president of the local bus company El Paso Los Angeles Limousine Express told KTSM the bus was being driven on the road where the car was stopped.
"When our driver saw that the vehicle not only had it's lights off, but was not moving, our driver tried to get around the vehicle. Did get around the vehicle, didn't hit the car," said Jerry Rosenbaum, the president of El Paso Los Angeles Limousine Express.
According to the Sheriff's Office, the bus driver lost control, rolling the bus on its side and crossing the interstate. An 18 wheeler tried to avoid the rolled bus also lost control.
The bus was traveling from Denver and scheduled to make its final stop in El Paso with 2 drivers and 32 passengers.
"A lot of agencies involved. A lot of patients. We had a lot of critical patients," said Maxon.
Even with the bloodshed, locals frequently traveling on passenger buses told KTSM this wreck should not scare people from using buses because crashes can happen no matter what you're riding in.
"Civilians get into wrecks, I've gotten into a wreck. It happens you know," said Eric Ramos, who was scheduled to board a bus Sunday evening.
"Well, accidents happen. Even if I'm in my own car, an accident can happen," said a woman who likes to travel on buses when going out of town.
"It's the same everywhere. Any place you can be involved in an accident," said a man who was planning on taking a bus on a trip Sunday evening.
The president of the bus company telling us all their drivers have to have at least three years experience to drive with them.
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NEW MEXICO - The conditions of three patients have been upgraded following a deadly crash involving a commercial passenger bus and three other vehicles on a New Mexico highway early Sunday.
ABC-7 learned that the bus belonged to the El Paso - Los Angeles Limousine Express, Inc. The bus was headed back to El Paso when it was involved in the crash.
Twelve people remained hospitalized Tuesday, and officials at University of New Mexico Hospital say three of the four who were initially listed in critical condition have improved.
Authorities said three people were killed and a total of 24 were injured. Investigators have yet to positively identify the dead.
One of the people killed was in a car that struck a pickup truck from behind about 2 a.m. Sunday on Interstate 25 north of Albuquerque. The bus driver took evasive action to avoid the disabled car but lost control. The bus rolled and was sideswiped by a semi-truck.
The wreck forced the closure of the interstate for hours.
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3 people killed, 24 injured after multi-vehicle crash involving tour bus in New Mexico
By Lucia I. Suarez Sang | Fox News
Three people were killed and 24 others were injured in a crash involving a tour bus and three other vehicles on Interstate 25 in New Mexico, authorities said Sunday.
The Sandoval County Sheriff's Office said that the incident began at around 2 a.m. when a car struck a pickup truck from behind just north of Bernalillo, about 18 miles north of Albuquerque.
According to spokesman Lt. Keith Elder, the tour bus driver took evasive action to avoid hitting the disabled car and its driver, who was ejected. But the bus driver lost control and the bus rolled onto its right side in the northbound lane, trapping injured passengers inside. It was then sideswiped by a semitruck.
Multiple injuries were reported after a multi-vehicle crash involving a tour bus in New Mexico. (Rio Rancho Fire Rescue via Facebook)
The Rio Rancho Fire and Rescue said on its Facebook page it had to use the Jaws of Life to extricate injured passengers from the bus.
At least two of the injured were airlifted from the scene by medical helicopters.
One of the deceased victims was in the car that hit the pickup truck. It wasn't immediately known whether the other two persons who died were bus passengers or were in one of the other vehicles involved.
The crash involved a charter bus, a semi-truck and other vehicles. (Rio Rancho Fire Rescue via Twitter)
Elder said the names of the three dead were being withheld until relatives could be notified.
Sheriff's officials said 35 people were on the bus operated by El Paso-Los Angeles Limousine Express. Its route wasn't immediately known and officials of the bus company didn't immediately comment on the accident.
Emergency responders reported treating 38 people at the accident scene with injuries ranging from broken bones and lacerations to head and internal injuries, authorities said.
Emergency personnel work at the scene of a deadly multi-vehicle crash involving a bus that occurred on Interstate 25 just north of Bernalillo, N.M. (Greg Sorber/The Albuquerque Journal via AP)
Twelve of the injured were taken to University of New Mexico Hospital, where three were in critical condition, officials said.
Eight patients were taken to another hospital, and authorities said six were treated and released.
The accident closed Interstate 25 in both directions for more than 11 hours