Five people have died and about 55 others have been injured in an early-morning crash Sunday involving a tour bus on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Mt. Pleasant Township, authorities said.
The 52-passenger bus was traveling on a downhill curve, struck an embankment and flipped onto its side, authorities said. The crash also involved three tractor-trailers — two UPS trucks and a FedEx truck loaded with parcels — and a passenger vehicle, state police said. It occurred about 3:40 a.m. Sunday near mile marker 86 on the westbound side of the highway, officials said.
Westmoreland County Coroner Ken Bacha released the identities of those killed late Sunday:
• Shuang Qing Feng. 58, Flushing, N.Y.;
• Eileen Zelis Aria, 35, Bronx, N.Y.;
• Jaremy Vazquez, 9 of Brooklyn, N.Y.;
• Dennis Kehler, 48, of Lebanon, Pa.;
• Daniel Kepner, 53, of Lewistown, Pa.
According to Bacha’s release, Feng was the bus driver and Aria and Vazquez were passengers.
UPS released a statement saying Kehler and Kepner were two of the company’s drivers driving together in a tractor-trailer based out of its Harrisburg operating center.
The company said Kehler worked for UPS for 28 years and Kepner worked there five years.
The westbound lanes of the turnpike, which had been closed between the Breezewood (Exit 161) and New Stanton (Exit 75) interchanges, reopened shortly before 6:30 p.m. Sunday. The eastbound lanes reopened earlier, around 4 p.m.
State police spokesman Stephen Limani said two people suffered critical but non-life-threatening injuries, and the rest of the injuries were less serious.
The tour bus, bound for Cincinnati from New Jersey, is owned by Z&D Tours of New Jersey, Limani said.
Many of the tour bus passengers were visiting the United States from other countries, according to Limani. Their home countries have not been determined, but some speak Japanese and others speak Spanish.
Investigators could not immediately identify some of the deceased, Limani said.
“Because of the severity of the crash, and how entangled the vehicles are, we’re still working hard to get IDs on the individuals who have passed away,” he said.
As of 1 p.m., some of the bodies were still in the vehicles, according to Limani.
Investigations begin
Limani said the state police’s investigation and a determination of its causes could take weeks or months.
He said accident reconstruction experts will use tracking devices within the involved vehicles, inspections of the vehicles themselves, and other evidence to investigate.
An official with the National Transportation Safety Board said its team of investigators was arriving Sunday night and they are expected to be at the scene for a week to 10 days.
But Jennifer Homendy, NTSB board member, said a final report on the investigation will take one to two years to complete.
“It’s just the beginning part of the investigation,” Homendy said.
Homendy said the team of 20 specialists includes experts in roadway design, driver performance, motor carrier compliance, mechanical aspects, survival factors, accident reconstruction and staff from the NTSB’s family assistance team.
She said the team “will not be determining the probable cause of the accident, nor will we speculate on the cause. We will be collecting the factual information and the perishable evidence that will help us conduct our safety investigation.”
She said the goal of the agency’s safety investigation is to “determine what happened, why it happened, and to prevent a similar accident from happening again.”
Trucker saw the aftermath
Angela Maynard, a tractor-trailer driver from Kentucky, said she was traveling eastbound on the turnpike when she and her driving partner came upon the scene.
“I looked up at that hill there, and I could see lights. It looked like a lot of them,” said Maynard, who called 911. “There was no fire, just a lot of smoke at that point.”
She and her co-driver got out of their truck to see if anyone was hurt. She could see one person lying on the ground, and another trapped in their truck.
“It was horrible,” she said. “I was trying to make sure everyone was OK.
“I walked toward the scene and saw one of the truck drivers laying near the barrier. I tried to keep him occupied, keep talking, until medical help arrived. He was in bad shape. He was floating in and out of consciousness.”
The roads were wet from snow but not especially icy, she said.
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Turnpike Commission spokeswoman Renee Colborn said that the roads had been treated and were not icy.
The American Red Cross is assisting the victims, many of whom are without their luggage and passports because of the crash, Limani said.
“We’re doing everything we can to make sure while they’re in our country, and they’re involved in this horrific incident, that we’re able to be compassionate and provide the things that they’re going to need outside of just medical treatment,” Limani said.
Numerous ambulance companies from Westmoreland, Fayette and Somerset counties sent units to transport victims, following protocol for a “mass casualty incident,” said Westmoreland County Public Safety Director Bud Mertz.
5 hospitals needed
Those who were injured were taken to numerous hospitals in the region, according to a Westmoreland Department of Public Safety supervisor.
A total of 31 patients were treated at Excela Frick Hospital in Mt. Pleasant, said Excela Health spokeswoman Robin Jennings. Four were transferred to Pittsburgh hospitals.
Jennings said the other 27 were treated and released in stable condition.
The ages of the injured ranged from 7 to 52, she said. Nine are under the age of 18.
Three patients are being treated at UPMC Presbyterian in Pittsburgh and a child is being cared for at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, a UPMC spokeswoman said. Their conditions were not available.
Eleven more victims were taken to Forbes Hospital in Monroeville. One was in critical condition Sunday afternoon, and the others were in fair condition, according to a hospital spokeswoman.
UPMC Somerset received 18 patients: 12 adults and six under the age of 18, according to a UPMC spokeswoman. All have been treated and released.
Mother reunited with kids
Leticia Moreta arrived at Forbes about 11:30 a.m. to pick up her children — Jorge Moreta, 24, and Melanie Moreta, 16 — who were on the bus. She did not have details about how the crash happened, only saying that her children were returning from visiting their father in New York. The children were in stable condition.
“I was devastated,” she said. “I was on my way to pick them up from Ohio.”
Omeil Ellis from Irvington, N.J., said his two brothers were on the bus.
Anthony Ellis, 39, was in surgery at 1 p.m. at an undetermined hospital. Quan J. Ellis, 17, was in stable condition at Excela Frick.
The family was waiting to see if he will be released and then plans on heading to the other hospital to visit Anthony.
“I was crying,” Omeil Ellis said. “I was like crazy crying. I’m still hurt.”
He added they were traveling to Ohio for work. His brothers left before him and he was going a few days later.
“I’m just weak right now,” he said.
FedEx officials declined to discuss whether its driver was injured. FedEx and UPS offered statements offering condolences and saying they are cooperating with investigating authorities.
After first responders arrived, Maynard said, she and other drivers were told to clear the scene before the turnpike closed.
Debris had caused the turnpike’s eastbound lanes to be closed.
The EASTBOUND detour at the New Stanton Interchange, Exit #75 has been lifted, all lanes open. Westbound closure remains. #paturnpike@PA_Turnpike@TotalTrafficPIT@P_M_T_A@KDKA@WTAE@TribLIVE@TotalTrafficMDThttps://t.co/eNqaeRUyTq
— PA Turnpike Alerts (@PATurnpikeAlert) January 5, 2020
Turnpike Chief Operating Officer Craig Shuey said the turnpike followed standard protocol by shutting down the highway for 86 miles between New Stanton and Breezewood, rather than a shorter closure between New Stanton and Donegal, because the local communities are not equipped to handle the heavy flow of commercial traffic that would be getting on and off at Donegal.
Excela Health Frick Hospital Case Management has established a phone number — 724-237-6027 — for family members only, the Westmoreland County Department of Public Safety said. The American Red Cross is assisting victims and relatives of those involved in the crash and said anyone needing assistance can call 1-800-Red-Cross.
Renatta Signorini, Paul Peirce and Jacob Tierney are Tribune-Review staff writers. Staff writers Joe Napsha, Megan Guza, Megan Tomasic and Brian C. Rittmeyer contributed. You can reach them at rsignorini@tribweb.com, ppeirce@tribweb.com, jtierney@tribweb.com and brittmeyer@tribweb.com.