Tragic College Tour Bus Trip
Five potential college undergraduates were killed in an Orland, CA bus crash last night, along with five other victims.
The students came from low-income families and were first-generation anticipated, university attendees. A FedEx truck swerved into a median, as two Los Angeles based busses and one Fresno based bus, were on their way to Humboldt State University in Arcata, CA. The truck hit one of the buses head-on, killing five students, three chaperones and both drivers.
It remains to be seen as to why the FedEx truck merged into the median and is under investigation. More than 34 victims are being treated at local hospitals. Bus passenger Jonathan Gutierrez tweeted, "I was asleep and next thing you know i was jumping out for my life...All my stuff that I packed is burned. I'm beyond thankful that I'm still here".
Two of the three busses arrived at Humboldt University, where the traumatized students are being counseled. Each year, the school invites first-generation college prospects from low-income families, for a two-day tour.
Today, the National Transportation Safety Board will send an investigation team to California. NTSB member Mark Rosekind described, "One, we're going to be investigating the human, the machine and the environment, and what's critical for us especially in highway accidents is for us to collect perishable information, the kind of information that goes away very quickly". The Board's purpose is to determine if any elements from the accident could have national repercussions.