Local News in Brief : Reseda Seniors Hurt as Bus Crashes in Florida

Agroup of senior citizens believed to be from the Reseda area were injured Wednesday when their tour bus was involved in a 16-vehicle pileup on a rain-slicked interstate highway in Florida, but none were critically hurt, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

The most serious injury among the bus passengers, who were on 21-day tour of the South, was a broken leg, Sgt. Vic Allen said. He did not have details on the tour group.

“All those on the bus probably had minor injuries from just soreness to broken bones,” Allen said. “At that age, they’re all going to be stiff and sore.”

One person was killed in the 12:30 p.m. accident, two people were critical injured and 26 others suffered lesser injuries, Allen said.

The vehicles were scattered along a 500-foot section of U. S. 10 that included the western approach to a bridge over Escambia Bay. The accident, which caused property damage estimated at $1 million, closed the highway for six hours, he said.

“I was in the fast lane,” said Bill Wainford, who was driving the bus. “The only thing I saw was a little ice cream truck. Man, he just flipped in the air, did a complete 180 in the air.”

Wainford said the charter group was from the Reseda area and was heading for Tallahassee.

Officers believe the collision was caused by a stalled car on the western edge of the bridge, Allen said. Highway Patrol officers are searching for the car, which witnesses said drove away just after the accident.

One of four semi-trucks involved in the accident was carrying 7,000 gallons of gasoline, but the fuel tank did not rupture, Allen said.