US Agency Examines Tires Of Fresno Semi-Trailer That Hit Greyhound Bus
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - A federal agency is intensifying its examination of the front tires of a semi-trailer that veered across a median and smashed into a Greyhound bus, killing eight people and wounding 25 others, an official said.
The tires will be sent to the National Transportation Safety Board in Washington, D.C., for further examination, said Peter Kotowski, a senior investigator with the agency.
The crash Thursday along Interstate 40 near the town of Thoreau, New Mexico, happened after the semi-trailer going in the opposite direction lost the tread on its left front tire, veered across a median and smashed into the bus, authorities said.
The agency has also asked for the medical records and toxicology reports about the driver of the semi-trailer owned by Jag Transportation of Fresno, California, and the bus, Kotowski said. The electronic data recorders for the semi-trailer and bus have been recovered, he added.
The agency has talked to survivors of the crash and is seeking an interview with the driver of the semi-trailer, Kotowski said.
The left-bound lanes of Interstate 40 at the crash site will be closed to traffic from 8 to 11 a.m. Sunday so investigators can continue their work, he said.