Bus crash victim remembered as ‘wonderful’ mom

The Los Angeles woman who died Saturday in a tour bus crash was remembered by neighbors as a devoted mom and generous friend.

Faith Creer “was a good mother and a good worker,” said neighbor Thomasina Curry. “She and her husband are good people.”

Creer, 31, died when the bus bound for Laughlin, Nev., skidded out of control and slid 100 feet on its side off Interstate 40 about 40 miles east of Barstow.

The one-vehicle crash is under investigation by the California Highway Patrol, which has moved the bus to a storage area, said CHP spokesman Taj Johnson.

The accident injured 21 people, including Creer’s husband, Ray.

Four were flown to Loma Linda University Medical Center, where a spokeswoman said their injuries are not life threatening. Rescue workers took the rest of the passengers to other medical facilities. One patient was listed in critical condition Saturday night, with no update available Sunday. Some of the victims may have lost limbs, Johnson said.

Ray Creer’s injuries did not require hospitalization, so he returned quickly to the family’s home in a tight-knit South L.A. neighborhood that was collectively grieving Sunday.

Family members declined to make a public statement, but neighbors praised the couple as role models for the three children the Creers were raising.

Neighbor and friend Angel Faggins recalled that when her husband was deployed to Iraq, Faith Creer would always include Faggins and her children in barbecues at the Creer house.

“She was a wonderful mother, a dear friend, and she would have done anything for anybody,” Faggins said.

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howard.blume@latimes.com