An image provided by ABC-TV shows the World Wide Tours bus after it was sliced by the exit sign on Interstate 95 south in the Bronx.
Thirteen people died early Saturday morning in the Bronx when a tour bus flipped on its side on a highway and slid into a pole, the New York City Fire Department said. The metal pole for an overhanging sign ripped through the windshield and sheared off most of the top of the bus, according to media reports.
About 20 passengers were taken to hospitals; at least six were listed in critical condition, the Fire Department said.
Firefighters said they had to cut out parts of the bus to rescue several passengers trapped in the mangled vehicle, which was carrying about 33 passengers.
The bus left the Mohegan Sun Casino, a southern Connecticut gambling complex, at about 3:45 a.m. and was headed to Chinatown in Manhattan, according to media reports.
About 20 passengers were taken to hospitals; at least six were listed in critical condition, the Fire Department said.
Firefighters said they had to cut out parts of the bus to rescue several passengers trapped in the mangled vehicle, which was carrying about 33 passengers.
The bus left the Mohegan Sun Casino, a southern Connecticut gambling complex, at about 3:45 a.m. and was headed to Chinatown in Manhattan, according to media reports.
The large casino is about two hours from the city and has become a popular destination for brief excursions for many New Yorkers, including those from the immigrant communities of Chinatown.
The Fire Department responded to an alert about the crash at 5:37 a.m. and rushed to the scene on Interstate 95 where it intersects the Hutchinson River Parkway.
The roads in the area were shut down while emergency workers responded to the accident.
The New York Daily News reported that police are searching for a tractor-trailer truck that may have made contact with the bus moments before the crash.
It appeared to skid on its side for about 250 yards and crashed directly into the massive traffic sign - and the steel pole tore through the bus' windows.
The vehicle did not come to a rest until the pole had ripped through almost the entire length of the bus, destroying its interior. The sturdy pole, which supports a large highway sign, is built to withstand strong winds and not give way when struck.
"I opened my eyes - I was on the ground," said Victor, who was sleeping in the moments before the wreck. "I saw a big piece of metal \[and\] the bus was in two parts."
"I saw people split open. It was awful," he said. "I tried to help. I crawled out through the emergency window in the back."
Scores of emergency vehicles rushed to the grisly accident scene, and firefighters clambered over the crumpled bus, desperate to find survivors. Injured passengers, some of whom were critically hurt, were rushed to area hospitals, including St. Barnabas and Jacobi Medical Center.
"I pulled over and I saw people running with their phones in their hands," said Homer Martinez, 56, a limo driver who stopped his car and ran over to help at the gruesome scene.
"I saw three people backing up from the bus and trying to hold another lady back," Martinez said, "and they said 'You don't want to see this.'"
"You could see bags, pieces of clothes lying around," he said. "I felt horrible."
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