Bus from Michigan transporting migrant workers crashes in Arkansas killing six

Six people died early on Friday morning when a charter bus veered off an interstate highway in Arkansas and crashed into a concrete barrier and an overpass, according to state police.

Light rain was falling, but not pooling on the ground, when the accident occurred around 1 a.m. (2 a.m. ET) along Interstate 40 westbound in North Little Rock, State Police Highway Patrol Maj. Two were treated and released and a third was admitted to the hospital in fair condition, UAMS said.

“First and foremost, this is a tragedy”, Bryant said. “On arriving at the scene, there were six fatalities so our thoughts and prayers go out to these families who lost their loved ones this morning”. The other two died inside the bus, said Col. Bill Bryant, the head of the Arkansas State Police. Mike Foster told reporters that the bus was being used by Vasquez Citrus and Hauling out of Lake Placid, Florida. State troopers are working with federal authorities and Mexican Consulate officials to notify the next of kin of those killed, police said.

The National Transportation Safety Board was sending investigators to Arkansas to look into safety issues related to the crash, spokesman Eric Weiss said. Authorities say there’s no indication that drugs or alcohol played a role in the crash. A woman who answered the phone at the company Friday hung up as The Associated Press sought more information.

According to police, the situation was complicated by the fact that most of the passengers didn’t speak English.

Weiss didn’t have a specific time line for how long the investigation would take. The charter bus was traveling westbound. Lawson told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that the buyer “said he needed a second bus to haul people from (Detroit) to Texas… and Florida”. The station posted a photo showing a white bus with “Continental” in broad letters on the side being towed from the scene. Multiple individuals are said to have sustained injuries as well, and have been taken from the scene by ambulance for treatment. Lawson said Continental Charters did not have any scheduled routes in Arkansas on Thursday and does not regularly operate in the area.

Michigan Department of Transportation spokesman Michael Frezell said the 1997 Van Hool bus had passed all of its annual inspections since 2009, as required under state law.

Several people have also been injured after the bus careered off the highway and smashed into a bridge.

Troopers said they received reports about the crash around 1am shortly after strong storms had hit the area. The other westbound lane remains closed at this time. Since then, one westbound lane has reopened.