Bus overturns amid blizzard conditions in New England
MADISON, Conn. -- A charter bus driving through a snowstorm to a casino flipped onto its side Monday, injuring more than 30 people, six critically, and closing the northbound side of Interstate 95 in Connecticut.
The accident comes as a large winter storm barrels through New England, dumping more than a foot of snow on parts of eastern Massachusetts.
The state Department of Transportation says the bus accident happened around 12:30 p.m. Monday just beyond exit 61. The bus was on its way from New York City to the Mohegan Sun casino.
State police trooper Kelly Grant said there were about 70 people on the bus. Passengers were taken to several hospitals, with the most seriously injured going to Yale-New Haven Hospital.
Mark D'Antonio, a Yale hospital spokesman, said they received eight patients, far fewer than the 30 they had originally been told to expect. One person suffered several broken bones and the others were less seriously injured with cuts and bruises, he said.
"They initially expected worse in the field and told us to prepare for the worst," he said. "Once they got down to nuts and bolts and triaged everybody, they realized it was not as serious as they thought."
At least 10 ambulances were called to the scene, sources told CBS affiliate WFSB. Yale-New Haven officials said there were six people in critical condition.
Video from near the scene showed the bus on its side off the right shoulder of the highway surrounded by numerous emergency vehicles.
Cody Chapman, a spokesman for the casino in Uncasville, said the bus is owned by Dahlia Inc. and operated by VMC East Coast. He said other buses from the New York area were rerouted back to the city until weather conditions improved.
In a statement, VMC East Coast said it was saddened "that this has happened today" and thanked firefighters, paramedics and police.
"We pray that all our passengers are OK and will be safely returned to their families soon," the statement read. "We may release more information in the coming days."
Gov. Dannel Malloy's office was monitoring developments after the crash. In a statement, the governor said his thoughts were with those who were injured.
The second winter storm in four days to hit the Northeast centered on New England on Monday, bringing howling winds and coastal flooding and threatening Cape Cod and southeastern Massachusetts with up to 18 inches of snow.
Snow from the storm bearing down on New England could last into Tuesday, when New Hampshire's first-in-the nation presidential primary is held. The storm was accompanied by high winds that could gust up to 65 mph and bring power failures, as well as coastal flooding from south of Boston to Cape Cod and Connecticut. A major surface road in south Boston was closed by flooding late Monday morning.
Much of the rest of Massachusetts and most of Connecticut are under a winter storm warning and could get as much as 10 inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service. Boston could see 6 to 10 inches.
Other parts of the Northeast, including Northern New England and the New York City area, was expected to get much less snow. New York City, Philadelphia and northern New Jersey could get 2 to 3 inches from Monday into Tuesday night, the weather service said.
Communities across the region closed schools and issued on-street parking bans.
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker closed state offices in nine counties Monday, and state courts were closed in 10 counties.
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, which was crippled by a series of historic storms during Boston's record-breaking winter last year, was operating on a normal weekday schedule with winter routes in effect for buses. Although there were delays, no major problems were reported.
Ferry service to Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard was suspended.