Bus accident with illegal alien driver

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/08/2...na-flood-volunteer-bus-strikes-firetruck.html
An out-of-control bus driven by an illegal immigrant carrying flood recovery volunteers hit a fire truck and firefighters who had responded to an earlier crash Sunday morning on a Louisiana interstate, killing two people and injuring 36, according to state police.

The ladder truck from St. John the Baptist Parish, located west of New Orleans, had parked across the right lane of Interstate 10 to block traffic while police investigated an earlier crash involving a pickup truck that had skidded on the wet road, crashing into both guardrails about 6:40 a.m., Trooper Melissa Matey told local media.

The bus hit the fire truck, then hit a car, and then veered behind the fire truck and into the pickup truck, knocking three firefighters who were standing near the guard rail into the water below, Matey said.

Matey said the driver, identified as Denis Yasmir Amaya Rodriguez, 37, of Honduras, was an employee of that company.

"He is in this country illegally from Honduras. He has no driver's license. He had minor injuries," she said.

Rodriguez will be booked in the St. John the Baptist jail and will be charged with two counts of negligent homicide, reckless operation, and no driver's license, Fox 8 reported. Police told the television station that additional charges are forthcoming.

Matey said the wreck killed Jermaine Starr, 21, of Moss Point, Mississippi, a back-seat passenger in the Camry, and St. John the Baptist Parish district Fire Chief Spencer Chauvin. The injured included the other two firefighters, the bus driver, 24 bus passengers and a total of nine people in the car and pickups.

Firefighter Nicholas Saale, 32, of Ponchatoula, and Camry passenger Vontravous Kelly of Moss Point, Mississippi, are in critical condition, she said. The Camry's other two occupants, driver Marcus Tate, 35, and David Jones, both of Moss Point, are in serious condition.

Other injuries — including the Titan's two occupants, who suffered minor injuries in the original crash — ranged from minor to moderate, Matey said.

Matey said the bus was taking flood recovery workers from New Orleans to Baton Rouge and belonged to a company with two names: AM Party Bus and Kristina's Transportation LLC, both at the same address in Jefferson, about 30 miles from New Orleans in Jefferson Parish, Matey said.

No listing in Jefferson was available. A call by the Associated Press to Kristina's Transportation in Destrehan, 12 miles from Jefferson in St. Charles Parish, was not answered Sunday. A woman who answered the phone at AM Party Bus of New Orleans told the AP was only authorized to take booking calls.

“This is a very sad day for all first responders in Louisiana,” Colonel Mike Edmonson, Louisiana State Police Superintendent said in a statement obtained by Fox 8. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the St. John the Baptist Fire Department. Louisiana has the “Move Over” law in place to protect our first responders on our roadways. Please adhere to this law and slow down when approaching emergency vehicles and disabled vehicles on the road.”

http://www.fox8live.com/story/32857000/2-dead-dozens-hurt-in-st-john-parish-bus-accident
ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST PARISH, LA (WVUE) -

Louisiana State Police are investigating two separate traffic accidents, involving a charter bus, that left two people dead and multiple people injured.

The accident happened around 6:40 a.m. Sunday near mile marker 203.

According to State Police, Troop B troopers and members of the St. John the Baptist Fire Department responded to an accident involving a Nissan pickup truck which came to rest in the right shoulder of the interstate. As crews were looking to close the roadway to help first responders on the scene, a west-bound charter bus lost control for unknown reasons and struck a fire engine parked in the right lane, prior to hitting a car from behind. The car was pushed into the rear of a Chevrolet pickup truck and flatbed trailer. After striking the car, the bus then struck three firefighters, throwing them from the elevated portion of the interstate over the guard rail and into the water below.

One of the firefighters, identified as District Chief Spencer Chauvin with the St. John the Baptist Fire Department, was pronounced dead at River Parishes Hospital. The other two firefighters were identified as 35-year-old William Mack Beal of Gonzales and 32-year-old Nicholas Saale of Ponchatoula. Beal suffered moderate injuries and was transported to a local facility. Saale was airlifted to the University Medical Center Level 1 Trauma Center with critical injuries, according to police.

One of the rear passengers in the car, identified as 21-year-old Jermaine Starr of Moss Point, MS was pronounced on the scene. The driver of the car, identified as 35-year-old Marcus Tate, also of Moss Point, was airlifted to Our Lady of the Lake Hospital in Baton Rouge with serious injuries. The front seat passenger in Tate's car, identified as Vontravous Kelly, and the other rear seat passenger, identified as David Jones, both of Moss Point, were taken to University Medical Center. Kelly is listed in critical condition and Jones is listed in serious condition.

The driver of the Chevrolet was identified as 48-year-old Emiliano Acosta of Kenner and the front seat passenger was identified as 50-year-old Solma Almendarez, also of Kenner. The rear seat passengers in the Chevrolet were identified as 30-year-old Jenyfer Espinal of Kenner and two 10-year-old juveniles. All in the Chevrolet pickup suffered minor to moderate injuries and were transported local hospitals.

Police say that there were 24 passengers on the bus, all of which were reportedly injured with minor to moderate injuries. All were transported to local hospitals for treatment. Police say that those on board were traveling from New Orleans to Baton Rouge to assist with the flood recovery.

State police say that the driver of the bus has been identified as 37-year-old Denis Yasmir Amaya Rodriguez of Honduras and that he is in the country illegally. Investigators learned that Rodriguez did not have a driver's license or a commercial vehicle license. Charges are pending in this case.

Police say that the bus belonged to Kristina's Transportation LLC/AM Party Bus out of Jefferson.

Rodriguez will be booked in the St. John the Baptist jail. He will be charged with two counts of negligent homicide, reckless operation, and no driver's license. Police say that additional charges are forthcoming.

The crash remains under investigation. Homeland Security Investigations is assisting Louisiana State Police with the investigation.

State police say that Interstate 10 west bound reopened Sunday afternoon.

“This is a very sad day for all first responders in Louisiana,” said Colonel Mike Edmonson, Louisiana State Police Superintendent. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the St. John the Baptist Fire Department. Louisiana has the “Move Over” law in place to protect our first responders on our roadways. Please adhere to this law and slow down when approaching emergency vehicles and disabled vehicles on the road.”

St. John the Baptist Parish President Natalie Robottom issued the following statement, Sunday morning:

"It is a sad day in St. John the Baptist Parish as we lost one of the bravest and most dedicated firefighters that I know. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, as well as to the families of the other 2 firefighters involved in the accident.

This was a horrific accident and one that is still very active. This type of loss will affect the entire department and they will have our full support as they deal with the grief of losing a comrade. It is heartbreaking, especially after this same group of individuals helped to guide St. John the Baptist Parish safely through Hurricane Isaac, the February tornado and the flood event last week. Please pray for all involved and please pray for our community."

-St John the Baptist Parish President Natalie Robottom

 

Hate it when Martians and Vulcans come to drive our vehicles (aliens)

 

Posting a link is above my computer know how. It is in post #7. You are welcome.

 

Actually, that article says NOTHING about volunteers, it just mentioned"workers."
However the link in post 21does say volunteers, so I already thanked Chico.

 

Hm. So, illegal immigrants were volunteering to help in the recovery efforts? I'm confused here. Oh wait, hold on.

Those evil evil illegal PEOPLE. How dare they help the Americans. Send them all back where they came from and make them pay for their tickets out. If they won't pay, let's reestablish slavery and they can work off their debt until we, the greatest ####ry on the face of the earth, are willing to let them go.

Ugh. You people... It's sad to see.

Shouldn't the focus be on supporting the families of the victims and not blaming where the driver came from? Or perhaps we can villanise the company that allowed him to drive that bus.

 

You are correct. Post #21 mentions volunteers. I humbly bow down to thee. I knew I read it somewhere. I just screwed up on the somewhere. "You are welcome was said politely". Unfortunately words don't always get the right emotion.

 

I read an article linked on Facebook that stated the bus occupants were believed to be illegal immigrants, but I can't find the link anymore. And no, it wasn't Infowars, it was a legitimate source.

Side note, I'm getting loaded right now in that parish, just south of where it happened.

 

Reuters says they were volunteers:

http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN1130VD

CNN says they were workers:

http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/28/us/louisiana-bus-crash-baton-rouge-flood-aid-workers/

 

I still can't find the article, and I'm thinking perhaps it wasn't accurate.