13 dead in shocking NYC bus crash

[Chacor]

Thirteen people have been killed and 10 injured in a bus accident in New York City, officials say.

The bus overturned on the New England Thruway in the Bronx at about 0530 (1030 GMT) on Saturday, a spokesman for the city's fire department said.

It slid on its side and then hit a light pole which sheared off the top of the bus, the spokesman said.

Six of the injured are said to be in a critical condition. The bus was carrying up to 33 passengers.

The light pole "went through the whole bus form front to rear", a fire department spokesman told the New York Times newspaper.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12722996
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This is one haunting image...

[vbhoutex]

The pictures on the news were just unbelievable as is this one. What a horrible tragedy!! Prayers headed out for the victims and their families.

[Brent]

You won't believe this turn of events... can you say LAWSUITS? Do they even screen these drivers before hiring them?

ALBANY, N.Y. – The driver of a bus in a horrific weekend crash that killed 15 people in New York City should not have been able to get behind the wheel because of a driving suspension and several traffic violations, two state officials familiar with the accident probe told The Associated Press on Monday.

Ophadell Williams was ticketed in 1995 for speeding and twice for driving without a license, giving police the alias of Erik Williams, the officials said. Williams' driving privileges were suspended — meaning he couldn't legally drive in the state — after he failed to address the charges.

The revelations about Williams — a convicted felon with a 20-year-old manslaughter conviction _prompted Gov. Andrew Cuomo to launch a state investigation into how Williams was able to hold a valid commercial driver's license at the time of the crash early Saturday.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110315/ap_ ... Nlc2J1cw--