Driver Charged After 2 Die In NYC-Bound Charter Bus Crash
KINGWOOD, Va. (CBSNewYork) -- A bus driver from Staten Island is facing charges following a deadly bus crash in Virginia.
The bus overturned on Interstate 95 in Prince George County about 30 miles south of Richmond. Two people were killed, CBS2's Lisa Rozner reported.
The driver was identified as Yui Man Chow, 40, of Staten Island, N.Y.. He was charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter and was held at Riverside Regional Jail in Prince George County, Va.
There were passengers on the bus from the Tri-State Area. Its final destination was Manhattan and it was supposed to arrive Tuesday.
The charter bus, which originated from Orlando, Florida, crashed just after 5 a.m. State police responded to a mass casualty situation. In all, 57 people, including the driver, were on board. One passenger was pronounced dead at the scene, and another at a hospital.
"The preliminary investigation shows that the bus was attempting to take the exit, ran off road left and overturned," Virginia State Police spokesperson Corinne Geller said.
Harlem resident Monique Berry was on the bus.
"It just happened so fast. I closed my eyes and I felt something so fast like a roller coaster swirling and before I can look up or do anything I was going. We was going," Berry said.
Most of the passengers were taken to area hospitals. Officials said some of the injuries are life threatening.
As for the 40-year-old driver, police said he was OK and speaking with investigators. Charges were pending. Police said he didn't take over the trip until he switched with another driver in North Carolina.
"I didn't notice anything about the bus drivers, but I noticed some type of feud, you know, tension. It was something. I couldn't pinpoint it," Berry said.
Virginia State Police said the bus is operated by Tao's Travel Inc., which is based in Middleton, Massachusetts. Records show the company has been in business for six years and has had no major crashes, only minor violations like defective bus emergency exit windows.
State police said the company sent another bus to pick up surviving passengers. Berry said she just wants to get home to her family in Harlem.
"I made it and, um, and I thank God for everybody else that made it and I hope they get through it. I hope we all get through it," Berry said.
The bus company was last inspected in September. An employee for the company told CBS2 it has no comment. Police said the two people who died were adults, but so far have not released their identities.
Officials say family members can call the Prince George County Emergency Services Center at 804-733-2659 for information related to those on the bus. A family reunification center is being established at the Prince George County Central Wellness Center at 11023 Prince George Drive in Disputanta, Va 23842.
