Thoreau, NM – At least four people were killed in New Mexico on Thursday when a Greyhound passenger bus and a semi-trailer truck collided on an interstate highway, local media reported, citing state officials.
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New Mexico State Police did not immediately confirm how many people were killed and injured, or the cause of the crash on Interstate 40 near Thoreau, about 100 miles west of Albuquerque.
Greyhound Lines said 49 people were aboard the bus, which was traveling from Albuquerque to Phoenix, Arizona. A spokeswoman, Crystal Booker, deferred comment to state police regarding the crash.
Albuquerque television station KOB 4 said that more than 40 people were taken to local hospitals.
Photos on social media showed a truck on its side with its trailer’s cargo scattered across the highway, and the Greyhound bus sitting upright with its front end obliterated.
Gallup Indian Health Services received 37 of the people injured in the crash, said Jennifer Buschick, spokeswoman for the Gallup hospital. Six people with injuries too severe to be treated there were stabilized and transferred to the University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque.
Three of the six patients taken to UNMH were listed in critical condition and the conditions of the others was not released, said spokeswoman Cindy Foster.
The westbound lanes of I-40 were closed because of the crash, state police said.
This accident was a shanda, which could have been prevented if Uncle Sam would have invested in a barrier wall,separating the western lane from the eastern lane. Unfortunately, on the vast majority of interstate highways in the USA, as well as on state highways, there is no barrier, on road involving two lanes in one direction, and two lanes in the other direction. However, if one travels on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, there is a concrete barrier separating traffic moving in opposite directions, (for the entire 360 mile stretch of the turnpike), making it virtually impossible for an out of control truck to strike traffic in the opposite lane. Also, in EY, there is such a barrier on the coastal highway between Tel Aviv and Haifa. We spent trillions of dollars on wasted wars in Iraq and Afghanisan. However, we can’t even afford to spend billions of dollars to protect our own citizens, by upgrading our infrastructure throughout the USA. Our highways, bridges, tunnels, airports, and railroads are falling apart, while we waste trillions of dollars overseas. Charity begins at home!