Tunica Bus Crash Kills 3
Cause of Crash Under Investigation by the Mississippi Highway Patrol
A bus owned by Harrah's Casino and carrying the driver along with 42 passengers from South Carolina crashed at 10:16a.m. Sunday morning near the intersection of U.S. Highway 61 and Casino Strip Resort Boulevard in Tunica, Mississippi. Initially, Mississippi Highway Patrol spokesperson Sergeant Leslie White reported four fatalities, but reports this evening all confirm that three people were killed in the crash. The passengers on board the bus were all reportedly guests of Harrah's Casino and on their way to the Tunica airport to board a charter flight back to South Carolina. Many of the passengers are reported to be from the Charleston, South Carolina area.
The Mississippi Highway Patrol (MHP) is investigating the crash. Sergeant White reported that the MHP's accident reconstruction team was at the scene of the wreck and that the crash is still under investigation. He also stated that while he could not confirm that vehicle speed was a factor that caused the accident, the rainy weather conditions could have been a cause of the wreck. Sergeant White stated that he had no information on the driver of the bus. Larry Liddell, a spokesperson for Tunica County, stated that he was certain the driver would be interviewed. Reports are that the bus was heading south on U.S. Highway 61 after turning right off of Casino Strip Resort Boulevard when the driver swerved and lost control of the bus. No possible reasons for the driver's actions were released by the MHP.
At least seven medical helicopters were flown to the scene to transport the injured to area hospitals. Information regarding where passengers are being treated and their condition has been conflicting. It appears Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto in Southaven, Mississippi, took in the bulk of the accident victims forcing the hospital to go into 'disaster mode'. Twenty seven people were taken to the hospital; one was in critical condition, one underwent surgery Sunday evening to repair broken bones, five were reported to be in stable condition and the remaining 20 patients were treated and released. Four accident victims were reported to be taken to the Regional Medical Center at Memphis, commonly referred to as 'The Med'; of those, two were reported as being in critical condition and two were reported as being in fair condition. Methodist Central Hospital in Memphis is reported as having two accident victims in good condition. Reports are that two patients were treated and released at Methodist University Hospital, two were treated and released from Methodist South Hospital and one patient there was still being assessed Sunday evening. The location and condition of the other accident victims is unknown. As of 11:44p.m., WREG-TV in Memphis reported that five people were still being treated at area hospitals as a result of the accident.
I will update this story as it progresses, including the cause of the accident and whether charges will be filed against the driver or others.
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12 August 2008, 1:55 AM
Mississippi Criminal Defense Law Blog wrote:
Note: You can read my first entry on this story here.The driver of the bus involved in a deadly accident in Tunica, Mississippi, on Sunday morning was identified Monday as being Larry D. Williams, age 54, of Tunica County, Mississippi. Members of the media were escorted off of Williams' home Monday by a trio of Tunica County Sheriff's deputies. WREG-TV in Memphis, Tennessee, reports, after consulting with accident reconstruction experts, that the Mississippi Highway Patrol's investigation into the crash could last weeks or even months. The experts they consulted also said that the rainy weather and/or ... -
12 August 2008, 1:57 AM
Mississippi Criminal Defense Law Blog wrote:
Note: You can read my first entry on this story here.The driver of the bus involved in a deadly accident in Tunica, Mississippi, on Sunday morning was identified Monday as being Larry D. Williams, age 54, of Tunica County, Mississippi. Members of the media, attempting to speak with him or his family about the accident, were escorted off of Williams' property Monday by a trio of Tunica County Sheriff's Deputies. WREG-TV in Memphis, Tennessee, reports, after consulting with accident reconstruction experts, that the Mississippi Highway Patrol's investigation into the crash could last weeks or even months. ...
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