Bus overturns; 1 seriously hurt, dozens of minor injuries


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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A charter bus carrying college students overturned Sunday night, leaving 36 people injured, and police say the driver has been charged with reckless driving, as speed was a factor in the wreck.

No fatalities were reported after the bus overturned on an exit ramp just south of Richmond, Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller told The Associated Press.

The driver lost control on a curve on the ramp and speed was a factor, State Police said in a statement. The bus, operated by Abbott Bus Lines of Roanoke, had 50 passengers and the driver onboard when the bus crashed about 7:15 p.m., police said.

About 34 passengers and the driver were taken to hospitals for minor injuries, and one passenger was treated for serious injuries, authorities said.

The passengers were mainly students picked up in Richmond who were returning to campuses of the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech and Radford University, police said.

The bus had initially picked the students up at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond and had as its first destination the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, according to the police statement.

The statement identified the bus driver as Thomas B. Chidester, 58, of Salem, and said he has been charged with reckless driving. He could not be immediately located for comment.

State Police said a motor carrier safety team had gone to the crash site to conduct a safety check on the bus. Police said they have been in touch with the National Transportation Safety Board about the crash, which is under investigation.

Neither the NTSB nor the bus company immediately returned telephone messages Monday morning.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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