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FedEx Truck and Bus Carrying Teenage Students Collide, Ten Dead

More than forty high school students were confronted with a tragic situation Thursday evening as a FedEx tractor-trailer drove across a grassy highway median and slammed into a bus carrying the students. The students were on their way to visit Humboldt State University in Northern California. The crash occurred just after 5:30 p.m. on Thursday near Orland, California, a small city approximately one-hundred miles north of Sacramento. The impact caused a massive fire that left ten people dead and numerous others injured. One passenger kicked out a bus window and many of those aboard the bus squeezed through and ran to the other side of Interstate 5 just before the bus exploded in flames.

Both the bus driver and the FedEx truck driver were killed. Three adult chaperones and five teenage students were also among the dead, according to the California Highway Patrol. Massive flames engulfed both vehicles immediately after the crash, and clouds of smoke filled the sky until firefighters were able to extinguish the fire. Most of the individuals who died were found on the ground in front of the bus or in the front part of the bus. Glenn County Sheriff Larry Jones said that identifying the victims of the crash might require the use of dental records or DNA. One person was even seen running from the bus on fire. That person was pronounced dead after being transported to a hospital.

Investigators are looking into what caused the FedEx truck to travel across the median and strike the bus. Some of the explanations for the crash could be that the FedEx truck driver fell asleep; the truck experienced mechanical failure; or the truck driver lost control because of a separate collision that occurred on the driver’s side of the highway. Authorities will also look closely at roadway and weather conditions. The investigation could take anywhere between three and six months.

College visit turns tragic for California students www.miamiherald.com April 11, 2014


Crashes that involve two large motor vehicles can be some of the most dangerous and deadly accidents. Although the cause of this crash is unclear at this time, some of the most common causes of similar accidents are excessive speed, distracted driving, defective parts in the motor vehicle, medical episodes, and impaired driving. Jonathan Friedland and Michael Carmona have dedicated their careers to helping victims of motor vehicle accidents recover the compensation that they deserve. The Coral Gables motor vehicle accident attorneys have spent over twenty years working with these victims and their families. If you or someone you love has been injured in a motor vehicle or automobile accident, call a South Florida personal injury attorney today at (305) 661-2008 for your free consultation. Don’t hesitate! Call today!

The Miami automobile accident attorneys at the Friedland | Carmona handle all types of motor vehicle accident cases throughout the state of Florida, including Boca Raton, Homestead, North Miami, South Miami, Miami Beach, Coral Gables, Pembroke Pines, Hialeah, Kendall, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, and Palm Beach. The Friedland | Carmona handles all types of personal injury cases, including wrongful death, defective products, medical malpractice, slip and falls, and construction site injuries. Call the Miami personal injury attorneys today and let our family take care of your family!

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