A major accident involving a bus and three other vehicles occurred in New Mexico that shut down Interstate 25 for nearly 11 hours. USA Today reported that the incident occurred on early Sunday morning on July 15^th around 2:00 a.m. on I-25, about 18 miles away from Albuquerque. Apparently, the multi-vehicle accident began when a car collided into the back of a truck.

Shortly after the passenger vehicle struck the truck, a bus that was operated by El Paso-Los Angeles Limousine Express attempted to avoid hitting the car that had become disabled along with the driver of it who had been ejected. Sadly, his efforts to avoid another crash failed, and as a result, the bus spun out of control and rolled, eventually landing on its right side. The bus was then sideswiped by a semi-truck. The Rio Rancho Fire Rescue along with emergency responders arrived at the scene where they had to use the Jaws of Life to pry apart the wrecked vehicles and free the trapped passengers.

There were 35 people on board the bus at the time of the collision, however, the bus company has yet to comment on the fatal incident. Among all that were involved in the wreck, 38 people were treated at the accident scene, some who suffered a broken bone and others who had lacerations on their heads. Authorities said some of the victims even suffered from internal injuries. Medics eventually transported 12 individuals to University of New Mexico Hospital, three of which were said to be in critical condition.

Lt. Keith Elder, a spokesman for the Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office did confirm that three people had died in the midst of the accident, although their names are being withheld until their relatives could be notified. Although it isn’t clear which vehicle the victims were on, one of the three who didn’t survive was an individual that was in the car that first initiated the crash.

You can expect that officials will be conducting an investigation to determine why the incident transpired and the parties that may have been at-fault for causing it. However, because so many vehicles were involved and many lives were impacted, it will take some time before officials can conclude exactly what happened.

What should a victim of a bus crash do following the incident?

As someone who puts their trust in a bus company to get you to your destination safely, you expect just that, to get where you need to go in one piece. Unfortunately, we cannot account for the behavior displayed by other drivers, but we can hold them accountable when they are reckless or negligent.

Therefore, if you were involved in a bus accident in or nearby to Albuquerque, NM and are now looking for some answers to the legal questions you may have, consider contacting us here at The Law Office of Brian K. Branch, PC.  When you choose to work with Albuquerque, NM bus accident attorney Brian K. Branch, you can be sure that all liable parties will be identified and held accountable for the injuries you have sustained as a result of the accident.

To learn more about how a NM bus crash lawyer can help you and even initiate a case that can get you the compensation you deserve, contact us now by calling 505-207-4401