Names Of Dead In Fla. Bus Crash Still Unknown
Tour Group Based Out Of Boston
POSTED: 7:15 am EST February 23, 2010
UPDATED: 7:43 am EST February 23, 2010
BOSTON -- Three Massachusetts residents were among the victims on a tour bus loaded with senior citizens that crashed in Florida Monday afternoon, but the identities of those killed have not yet been released.Two people were killed and three were critically injured in the crash that happened in Lake Placid, Fla., about 100 miles south of Orlando, authorities said.The rest of the injuries ranged from serious to minor, and all but one of the people on the bus were taken to local hospitals.Photos: Two Killed In Tour Bus CrashThe trip was arranged by South Florida Community College in conjunction with Exploritas of Boston, which helps provide senior citizens with educational and historical trips. The popular program used to be known as Elderhostel.All 32 passengers involved, including three Massachusetts seniors, booked their cultural tour of old Florida out of the Boston office.The bus, with 32 people aboard, had just visited murals in Lake Placid and was headed back to a nearby hotel when the accident happened. Two of the passengers, who ranged in age from 66 to 87, were killed in the crash, and three were critically injured. Police said the tour bus rolled over twice before crashing on its side.A representative of Exploritas said their thoughts and prayers are with everyone involved.According to a Florida Highway Patrol crash report, an 81-year-old woman driving a Mercury Sable failed to yield right of way to the bus on U.S. Highway 27 and the vehicles collided, causing the bus to roll over.The driver of the Sable was not injured, police said. No charges had been filed Monday night. College President Norm Stephens said the school's director of community education was on the bus and called him around 2:15 p.m. to tell him of the wreck. "It's tragic," he said. "Our hearts go out to the victims and their families. It's a horrible thing."
Previous Stories:
- February 23, 2010: Fla. Bus Carrying Tourists Overturns, Killing 2
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