6 dead in charter bus crash in North Little Rock

Six people were killed and others were injured overnight when a charter bus ran off Interstate 40 in North Little Rock and hit part of an overpass, police said.

The Red Cross responded early Friday to provide blankets, coffee and help set up hotel rooms for a few of those who’d been on the bus, said spokeswoman Brigette Williams. Six individuals were transported from the scene to local hospitals with minor injuries.

Westbound I-40 traffic near the crash was initially diverted through North Little Rock to the north interchange of I-30 and I-40, according to Sadler.

State Police say the bus driver is also being treated and tested. Police did not discuss the nature of their work, but the company had advertised for seasonal farmworkers last spring on a Michigan jobs site, saying the work would end in November.

Highway Patrol Maj. Mike Foster said at the time of accident, a light rain was falling and the road was wet, but there was no standing water. Three more were admitted at UAMS, with one of those being listed in fair condition.

The National Transportation Safety Board was sending investigators to Arkansas to look into safety issues related to the crash, spokesman Eric Weiss said.

The driver of the bus has been identified as Roberto Vasquez, 28, of Monroe, Michigan.

The station posted a photo showing a white bus with “Continental” in broad letters on the side being towed from the scene, its roof partially crumpled.

Authorities have not yet released the names or nationalities of those killed in the crash but said the Mexican consulate was helping to contact relatives.

Foster says the bus had 22 people on board: the 29-year-old driver, two employees of Vasquez Citrus and Hauling and 19 other passengers.

A woman who answered the phone at the company Friday hung up as The Associated Press sought more information.

Jeff Lawson, owner of Michigan-based Continental Charters, told the Detroit News he sold the bus to Vazquez Citrus and Hauling on Saturday.