A bus driver was charged with reckless driving as his charter bus overturned on a Virginia highway ramp, seriously injuring at least 33 college students.
A charter bus carrying 50 Virginia college students overturned on Sunday night in the Virginia capital of Richmond. Police say that at least 33 of the students on board were injured, and transported to six local hospitals to have their injuries tended to. Many of the students were severely injured with life threatening injuries from the crash.
The students were returning to their various college campuses after the long Thanksgiving holiday, reports The Washington Post. The charter bus had begun the trip in Richmond, but overturned on an exit ramp in Chesterfield County. The driver of the bus, Thomas Chidester, 58, of Salem, Vir., was also among those injured when the bus careened out of control. The police have since charged Chidester with reckless driving.
The bus was owned and operated by the Abbot Trailways company based in Roanoke, Vir., according to the Virginia State Police. The students were on their way back to Radford University, the University of Virginia and Virginia Tech.
The charter bus had originally picked up students and embarked at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, and was going to make its first stop at the University of Virginia. The police said that the driver lost control of the bus as he was making a curve onto a ramp.
A spokesman for Radford University stated that the charter service was not affiliated with the university and was provided as a special service for their students returning from the holiday break. In addition to charging the bus driver with reckless driving, the Virginia State Police are also conducting a full safety inspection of the bus on the site of the crash.
Abbot Trailways sent another bus to pick up the students who were not injured and transported them to their destinations. The company said that it is fully cooperating with the state police and their investigations.
