LOS ANGELES, California - a tour bus carrying San Miguel Indian Bingo and Casino gamblers overturned while traveling along Irwindale's 210 Freeway on Thursday morning. No one killed, but more than 50 people were injured, authorities said.
The Da Zhen Bus rolled at around 10 a.m. after attempting to switch lanes. It accidentally clipped the back of a nearby Hyundai Elantra as well.
"The next thing I knew everything was just going really fast and we all kind of swerved over here to the right side and the bus flipped over in the back," said Hyundai driver Melody Bausa.
According to California Highway Patrol Officer Elizabeth Van Valkenburgh, the exact chain of events that led to the accident are currently being investigated at the moment.
At the site of the tour bus overturning accident, ambulances and helicopters flocked; at least 75 firefighters gave first-aid assistance and medical help to all injured patients.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reported that most of the 52 injured patients were senior citizens who do not understand or speak English. Most of them required a Cantonese or Mandarin interpreter, the patrol officer said.
Eight injured people were severely traumatized, and five of them were delivered to the Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center through a helicopter.
Meanwhile, both sides of the freeway were shut down to enable the landing of the responding medical helicopters. Afterwards, the westbound side was opened while the opposite end was still closed off, only to be re-opened later today at around 5 p.m., authorities said.
On-site reporters and media men caught footage of people being strapped in gurneys while being carried towards the medical vehicles.
Los Angeles County Fire Capt. Brian Jordan said that there were also completely mobile patients, who approached the firefighters on their own.Finally, he added that several bystanders also helped them in rescuing the injured victims.
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