A double-decker Megabus en route to Atlanta from Chicago crashed onto its side early in the morning of Saturday, Dec. 20, 2014, leaving dozens of people hurt and stranded in the southern part of Indiana where the incident took place. The bus driver, a man by the name of Christopher Kelley, reported to investigators that he was attempting to merge from the left lane in to the right lane on Interstate 65 when he lost control of the vehicle and the bus slid off the roadway, landing on its side in the grassy area next to the road.
Almost 70 passengers were on board the bus at the time of the accident. Of those, at least 26 were injured, though no injuries have been reported as being life-threatening. Investigators have stated that the driver’s speed as well as inclement weather may have played a role in the crash, as the winter season brings cold and snowy weather to the area, as well as unpredictable high winds.
This is not the first Megabus to crash on Interstate 65 in Indiana. In October, another vehicle owned by Megabus crashed on the same route, leading to many injured passengers. Indiana State Troopers have reported that the interstate has seen quite a few accidents recently. It is not yet known whether speed may have been a factor in this particular crash, but there have been no reports of whether drugs or alcohol may have played a role in this incident.
Injured parties were taken to Schneck Medical Center in Seymour, Indiana and to Methodist Hospital in the state’s capital. One of the injured was reported to be a pregnant woman who sustained a facial cut in the accident. Parties who did not report injuries were transported to nearby Seymour Middle School where they were met by members of the Red Cross, who had constructed a temporary shelter for the passengers at the school.