Hemera/Thinkstock (LOS ANGELES)-the National Council for transport safety (NTSB) has launched an investigation on a tour bus accident that killed eight people and wounded dozens on a remote California Road East of Los Angeles on Sunday evening.
"The fact that there were fatalities involved, we will look at bus maintenance, bus mechanics and so on," Keith Holloway, public affairs officer of the NTSB, told ABC News. "We don't have a lot of information at this point until we have detectives enter the bus."
The bus tour, a trip organized by Tour Bus, carrying families from Tijuana, Mexico, when it crashed at about 18:30 80 miles east of Los Angeles. More than three dozen people were injured, and at least 17 were still hospitalized, including at least five in critical condition. While investigators were trying to collect personal belongings to help identify victims, crews worked through the night to retrieve the dead, said Rocky Shaw, coroner's investigator in San Bernardino County.
Investigators want to determine if he was blaming driver error or mechanical failure. The bus driver, who survived but what injured, investigators said the vehicle had brake problems.
"It seems the speed that a factor in this collision," California Highway Patrol spokesman Mario Lopez said.
It is still unclear what exactly caused the fatal collision, investigators said. Holloway said the full investigation could take up to 18 months.
"It is not unusual to investigate a bus accident. Bus operations are one of the most sought-after transportation safety improvements, "Holloway added.
The company released a statement on Facebook saying, "InterBus, tours and his team are working to support our clients and their families who unfortunately has suffered in the accident coming down from the mountains of big bear in San Valentina CA." The company added, "We deeply regret what happened."
The accident occurred when the speeding bus rear ended a Saturn sedan on mountain road, overturned and hit a Ford pickup truck, said Lopez.
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