A bus headed from Chicago to NYC's Chinatown crashed early Sunday morning in Pennsylvania. Thirty-six people were on board as the bus was going eastbound on I-80 near Clearfield, Pennsylvania; the AP reports the bus "ran off the right side of the two-lane highway before veering left across the roadway, running up an embankment and flipping onto its side in a grassy area."
Because many of the passengers did not speak English, the AP said it was initially difficult for investigators to piece together what had happened. The bus crash took place around 3:30AM, and most passengers were sleeping; an interpreter said, "The thing they remember, they woke up by the screaming. The next thing they knew, they were on the ground." Two people were killed in the crash, while 32 others were injured. Additional details about the victims were not released.
The bus was owned and operated by OK Travel Bus, which has 1 bus daily to various locations from its Allen Street ticket office. The NY Times reports that federal motor carrier safety records say that the bus line has not had crashes in the past two years and received a "satisfactory" rating from inspectors earlier this month.
Last September, a Fung Wah bus rolled off a Massachusetts exit ramp, apparently traveling too fast, injuring 33 people. Senator Charles Schumer had called for more regulation on Chinatown buses after an accident in 2005. And here's a Washington Post article on what you need to know about Chinatown buses.
