At least two people were killed and about three dozen were hospitalized after a charter bus careened off a Texas highway and flipped onto its side Thursday, drawing a large emergency response as rescue crews struggled to reach victims inside, authorities said.
The Cardinal Coach Line bus was traveling just east of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport in Irving when it suddenly weaved across the busy highway, struck a concrete barrier and toppled over into the center median, witnesses said. The cause of the accident was not immediately clear.
"We ended up swirling and weaving and then ended up on the side," passenger Daniel Risik, 73, told The Dallas Morning News. "People were screaming and hollering, a very traumatic situation to say the least."
The bus, which was carrying about 45 people, was headed to a casino in Oklahoma, officials said. Risik said most people aboard the bus weren't wearing seat belts.
"People were piled on top of each other," he said. "It was unbelievable. A lady had pinned me. Rescue got there and started pulling people out of a roof emergency hatch. People were hollering, screaming, there was blood all over the place. It was unbelievable."
Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper Lonny Haschel confirmed that two people were killed. About three dozen people were being treated at local hospitals, many of them suffering from fractured bones, hospital officials said.
Emergency vehicles could be seen swarming the bus as it lay in the grassy center median along the President George Bush Turnpike. Ladders were being used to pull passengers from some broken windows. Witnesses said one person appeared to be pinned by the bus which picked up passengers in Fort Worth.
A man who answered the phone at Cardinal Coach's offices in Mansfield, just south of Dallas, confirmed that one of the company's buses was involved in the Irving accident. But said he didn't have time to talk because he was trying to gather information about the crash.
Cardinal Coach has reported no crashes in the last two years that resulted in deaths or injuries, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The company operates five buses and employs seven drivers, records show.
Law enforcement officers were interviewing bus passengers and other drivers who witnessed the crash. Haschel said he had no immediate information on where the bus trip originated.
A spokeswoman for Baylor Medical Center in Irving said 13 patients arrived at the hospital following the accident. Officials at Las Colinas Medical Center in Irving confirmed another six patients were there, though details weren't immediately available on their conditions.
Another 11 patients were transported to Parkland Memorial Hospital, including the driver of the bus, and another victim was airlifted to a fourth hospital in critical condition, hospital officials said.
On Monday evening, a motorist reported that a small male child was walking on US 281 carrying a portable house phone. The motorist stopped and put the child in her vehicle and called police. When deputies arrived they searched the area to attempt to locate where the child belonged. The child could or would not tell authorities his name or a parent’s name. Finally, officers located a residence where they thought the child lived. No adult was home when officers made entry into the home. Over an hour passed before the mother of the child showed up. She had been shopping at Walmart. She was placed under arrest for Child Endangerment and Resisting Arrest and transported to the Archer County Jail.
On Tuesday morning, a leaseholder on a piece of property off FM 2178 reported that several head of cattle keep getting out on of an adjacent property and damaging his property. The reporting person said that he had contacted the cattle owner several times to fix the problem but the cattle owner has refused to cooperate. A contract cowboy was summoned to impound the cattle and the owner was notified to fix his fence and the location of where the cattle had been taken.
Later that afternoon, officers responded to a Lake Kickapoo residence on a disturbance report. The reporting party told officers that she had let her daughter move in until she could find a place to live. She said her daughter and granddaughter had been having parties at her home and she did not approve of their behavior. She gave her daughter the money to move out and now says the daughter is trying to take some of her things. Officers arrived on scene and directed both parties to return items to each other that did not belong to them. The issue was settled and the daughter has moved out.
On Wednesday morning, an Archer County resident reported that someone had charged approximately $1600 on her debit card at a San Antonio Walmart. The resident advised that she had used her card the day before at a Wichita Falls Walmart. She was notified by her bank’s fraud department about the charge in San Antonio. If at all possible, DO NOT hand your card to a cashier or other business employee when making payment. Use the machine provided if at all possible. This will prevent anyone from getting your card number and 3 digit number located on the back of the card which makes it easy for a dishonest cashier to use your account for their personal gain.
On Thursday afternoon, deputies responded to a suspicious vehicle call on a ranch off Hwy 25 near FM 368. The reporting person advised that a silver or gray 4dr vehicle was on the property and his daughter was home and afraid. Officers responded but the vehicle was gone by the time they arrived. The reporting party told officers that the vehicle had a plastic bag covering the license plate. Anyone noticing a suspicious vehicle on a property especially in rural areas is encouraged to call 911 immediately to get officers in route as soon as possible.
On Friday afternoon, a woman reported that she was sexually assaulted by a family member for years but never reported it for fear of retaliation. She has since moved out of the home but is concerned for younger siblings still living in the home. An investigator has been assigned to the case and CPS notified. A full investigation is in progress.
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