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| Greyhound Suspends Service After Fatal Crash |
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| 2001-10-03 |
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ABCNEWS
N A S H V I L L E, Oct. 3, 2001 — A deadly bus crash in Tennessee in which the the driver was reportedly attacked by a passenger has prompted Greyhound to suspend all bus service in the United States.
As a precaution we are halting service in the U.S.," Greyhound spokeswoman Lynn Brown said. The company has 2,300 buses nationwide.
The attack did not appear to be terrorist-related, U.S. Department of Justice officials said.
The incident occurred around 4 a.m. on an Atlanta-bound Greyhound bus near Manchester, Tenn., about 65 miles outside of Nashville.
"The bus driver was assaulted and [it] resulted in an accident," said Manchester Police spokesman Steve Deford.
The bus, No. 1115, swerved at least four times and crossed the highway median before turning over.
Driver’s Throat Reportedly Slit
Passenger Carly Rinearson told local television station WTVF that a man aboard the bus had slit the driver's throat, sending it veering out of control. Local officials, however, declined to comment on the exact nature of the assault on the driver.
U.S. Department of Justice spokeswoman Susan Dryden said the alleged assailant had a Croatian passport. He apparently was killed in incident.
Greyhound bus No. 1115 crashed in Manchester, Tenn.
There were conflicting reports on the number of deaths.
"We have six people who were dead at the scene," Tennessee Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Dana Keeton said this morning.
Earlier police reports put the number of fatalities at seven, and officials at nearby Vanderbilt Hospital said 10 people died at the scene.
Keeton said 32 people were injured, including the driver, who was airlifted to a local hospital. Initial reports said the bus had 38 people aboard.
The FBI arrived at the scene and was assisting in the investigation.
Greyhound has established a hotline for relatives seeking information about passengers aboard the bus: (800) 884-2744.
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