CHP: Tour Bus That Overturned In Shasta County Was Involved In Minor Crash Earlier That Day
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — A tour bus driving from Los Angeles that overturned in a crash in Shasta County, killing 1 person and injuring 30 more, had been involved in a minor crash earlier that morning, California Highway Patrol officials said.
The fatal crash happened about 7:30 a.m. Sunday just off Interstate 5 in Pollard Flat, authorities said. A 33-year-old man was killed and 30 more people were taken to hospitals.
Two of the victims were in critical condition and one left the scene, according to the Record Searchlight.
The bus, which originated in Los Angeles and was on its way to Pasco, Washington, was involved in a minor crash into a Denny's in Red Bluff earlier that morning, CHP officials said. The bus is operated by Yellow Arrow Lines LLC of Othello, Washington and was being driven by Jose Victor Garcilazo Palencia, 67, of Los Angeles.
CHP investigators believe driver fatigue was a likely factor in the crash. Authorities noted driving while fatigued can be just as fatal as driving under the influence of alcohol because it slows reaction time, decreases awareness, impairs judgment and increases the risk of being involved in a collision.
Pollard Flat is about 575 miles north of Los Angeles, on a mountainous section of Interstate 5, not far from the Oregon line.
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