Clues Sought in Fatal Tour Bus Accident
Investigators on Sunday combed through a patch of grass near an interstate highway, searching for clues to why a tour bus drifted off the pavement and overturned, killing 14 people.
Fifteen passengers remained hospitalized in Little Rock, Ark., and Memphis, Tenn., many in critical condition with injuries that included collapsed lungs, broken hips and head wounds they suffered when the bus wandered off Interstate 55 in northeastern Arkansas.
A reconstruction of the accident was underway, but officials cautioned that a final police report would not be ready for a week.
“There is not going to be a magic answer provided to you today to the question, ‘How did this crash happen?’ ” Arkansas State Police spokesman Bill Sadler said.
Authorities said the inquiry would try to determine whether the driver fell asleep and would review the mechanical condition of the bus and whether it met federal regulations.
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