2 Killed in Marine Bus Crash

A bus returning Marines from training on the slopes of Mt. Whitney rolled over on a mountain road, killing two and injuring 16, authorities said today.

The crash, with 38 people aboard, occurred about 9:45 p.m. Wednesday on the road that leads to the head of a popular trail to the top of the 14,495-foot peak in Inyo National Forest. The injured Marines were from various parts of the country and were training at the Mountain Warfare Training Center in Bridgeport, said the base duty officer, Sgt. Gregory Smith. Five of the injured were college students enrolled in the Navy’s Reserve Officer Training program. All names were being withheld until relatives could be notified. The injured were taken to three hospitals and their conditions were not immediately released.