ORLAND, Calif. — A FedEx tractor-trailer crossed a grassy freeway median and slammed into a bus carrying high school students on a visit to a college, killing 10 people, authorities said.
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California Highway Patrol dispatchers said the drivers of the tractor-trailer and bus were among the dead,
In addition to both drivers, the patrol says three adult chaperones and five teenage students were killed in the crash Thursday. Their identities haven’t been released.
The crash happened a little after 5:30 p.m. Thursday on Interstate 5 near Orland, a small city about 100 miles (160 kilometres) north of Sacramento.
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Investigators say the truck driver might have been trying to avoid a passenger car that was also involved in the crash, which shut down north- and south-bound traffic on the freeway.
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A first responder who helped set up a triage at the scene said 36 or 37 people received injuries ranging from severe to minor burns, broken legs and noses and head lacerations.
This is just an unimaginably horrible accident. My heart goes out to the families of everyone involved.
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Huge thanks to Dion for the signature!
A group of low-income and first-generation prospective college students were the victims of a fiery freeway crash that killed 10, including five youths.
It was a trip to open doors and possibilities for the students, but it was cut short by a horrific crash.
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The reason the FedEx truck crossed the median remains under investigation, the Highway Patrol said. The investigation could take months.
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The other two buses made it to the university, and those students were placed in dorms, Humboldt officials said.
The university is offering counseling to those students.
An annual university program brings low-income and first-generation college prospects to campus each year for a two-day visit.
The students stay in residence halls, attend events and visit with staff and students from a program that helps historically underrepresented students, the university said.
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"Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone involved in the tragic accident on I-5 in California. We are cooperating fully with authorities as they investigate," FedEx spokeswoman Bonnie Kourvelas said.
The truck sideswiped another car before crashing into the bus. The two occupants of that vehicle were not seriously injured but were sent to a hospital for treatment.
10 Dead, 36 Injured in Horrific Semi/Bus Accident in California
