Legal news for Mississippi personal injury plaintiffs.
Lauderdale County I-20 youth church bus crashes leaves 1 dead and 27 injured.
Meridian, MS–A church bus crash left one dead and 27 others injured, while en route to a youth camp in Georgia. The accident occurred at 10:20 a.m. on Sunday, July 12, 2009, along Interstate 20, as reported by WLBT. According to Lauderdale County police officials, members of the First Baptist Church located in Shreveport, Louisiana were headed to a weeklong youth camp near Atlanta called the “Passport” with 23 minors, 3 chaperones, and the bus driver on board the coach. Witnesses to the crash stated a tire on the church bus blew out, causing the driver to loose control of the motor vehicle. The bus reportedly flipped three times and came to a stop on its side. A group of National Guard soldiers, who happened to be traveling on the highway at the time of the accident, physically lifted the church bus off of injured passengers trapped underneath the wreckage.
The tragic accident left 14-year old Brandon Ugarte dead when he and three other passengers were ejected from the bus. According to the Lauderdale County Coroner’s office, the injuries of the 27 victims ranged from severe pelvic and chest injuries to scrapes and scratches. Two victims were reportedly airlifted to University Medical Center in Jackson for treatment of their serious injuries. Accident reports indicate six people were transported by area emergency medical services (EMS) crews to Regency Hospital of Meridian, and thirteen people are being treated at the Rush Foundation Hospital. The conditions of the injured victims are unknown at this time.
Legal news reports for Mississippi personal injury plaintiffs.
