Baton Rouge floods: Workers’ bus crashes into accident scene, killing 2

But the asphalt was wet, and authorities said the truck’s tires likely lost traction as a result of the disastrous combination of excess speed and slippery roads, according to a statement by Louisiana State Police. Lawson lost control of the Titan and hit the left guardrail, crossed the highway and struck the right guardrail. The St. John Fire Department engine was parked in the left lane of oncoming traffic. “The bus then struck the rear of a 2012 Toyota Camry, and the Camry was pushed into the rear of a 2016 Chevrolet Silverado and flatbed trailer”.

The bus hit the fire truck, then hit a auto, and then veered behind the fire truck and into the pickup truck, knocking three firefighters who were standing near the guard rail into the water below, Matey said.

Matey said the wreck killed Jermaine Starr, 21, of Moss Point, Mississippi, a back-seat passenger in a Camry that the bus rear-ended, and the district fire chief of St. John the Baptist Parish, Spencer Chauvin.

The bus slammed into all three firefighters, sending them flailing over the concrete guardrail and into the swamp below – an estimated 40-foot drop.

Additional criminal charges are forthcoming.

The 2002 Eldorado National bus, which was speeding, closed in on the crash scene and clipped the fire truck, police said.

The driver of the Camry, 35 year old Marcus Tate suffered serious injuries and was airlifted to a Baton Rouge hospital. All occupants of the Silverado were transported to local hospitals with minor to moderate injuries.

One of the firemen, District Fire Chief Spencer Chauvin, was taken to an area hospital, where he was declared dead, she said.

A fatal bus crash that claimed the life of a 21-year-old MS man and a Louisiana fire chief has had a heartbreaking development: the driver had illegally entered the United States from Honduras, and didn’t even have a driver’s license. Two other passengers in the vehicle, Vontravous Kelly and David Jones, both also from Moss Point, were sent to an area hospital for treatment. Most injuries were minor to moderate, but Matey says one firefighter is critically injured.

It belonged to a company with two names: AM Party Bus and Kristina’s Transportation LLC, both at the same address in Jefferson, about 30 miles from New Orleans in Jefferson Parish, Matey said.

Matey describes them as people heading from New Orleans to Baton Rouge to help with flood recovery. The front seat passenger, Vontravous Kelly and rear seat passenger Davis Jones were taken to University Medical Center in New Orleans.

It is not known who hired the workers, but police believe they are in the US illegally, Matey said. “Louisiana has the “Move Over” law in place to protect our first responders on our roadways”, he said, adding “Please adhere to this law and slow down when approaching emergency vehicles and disabled vehicles on the road”.