UPDATED: Tour Bus Crash Closes I-95 Lanes Near Havre de Grace; 4 of 75 Passengers Aboard Taken to Hospital

From Maryland State Police:

Maryland State Police on the scene of the northbound I-95 bus crash near exit 89 are reporting it is a single vehicle crash that caused no visible injuries to any passengers, but EMS personnel are responding as a precaution.

The crash involved a commercial tour bus carrying about 75 people, none of whom are showing signs of visible injury. Emergency medical services personnel have been summoned to the scene and are evaluating the passengers as a precaution.

Troopers and Maryland Transportation Authority officials are working to obtain shuttle vehicles to move the bus passengers off the interstate to a nearby location until a replacement bus arrives. Until that occurs, the passengers are standing on the shoulder of the interstate.

Traffic is able to move by the scene on the left shoulder of the interstate, but all travel lanes of the interstate remain closed. It is unknown how long the closure will occur, but lanes will be reopened as soon as possible.

The investigation is continuing. Preliminary information indicates the bus traveled onto the right shoulder of the interstate and struck the guardrail. It remained upright and no other vehicles were involved.

I-95 CRASH UPDATE II

Two travel lanes are now open on I-95 in northern Harford County, but northbound traffic remains slow as the investigation into the passenger bus crash continues.

Four passengers on the bus have been transported by ambulance to Harford Memorial Hospital as a precaution. All of the approximately 75 passengers on the commercial tour bus have been transported off the interstate to a nearby park and ride by state troopers, Maryland Transportation Authority Police officers and courtesy patrol units, as well as fire department personnel. Arrangements are being made to move all the passengers to the Maryland House rest area until a replacement bus can arrive.

Lanes one and two of the northbound interstate are now open. Those are the fast lane and the lane to its immediate right. The bus will have to be towed from the scene, so at least some lane closures are expected until a heavy duty tow truck can arrive and remove the bus.

The crash was reported to Maryland State Police at 3:39 p.m. The bus apparently left the highway, traveled across the right shoulder and struck the guardrail. The investigation is continuing.

I-95 CRASH UPDATE III

All lanes of northbound I-95 near exit 89 are expected to be reopened at about 6:00 p.m. as emergency personnel clear the scene following the crash of a commercial passenger bus late this afternoon.

There have now been five passengers from the bus transported to Harford Memorial Hospital. All are believed to have been transported as a precaution. No serious injuries to the passengers were observed by responding troopers.

The Mega Bus Inc. passenger bus was carrying 68 passengers plus the driver. State Police investigators were told it was headed from Washington, D.C. to New York. The bus had last stopped in White Marsh, where it took on 25 passengers.

State Police investigators say their preliminary investigation indicates the northbound bus drove onto the right shoulder of the interstate and struck the guardrail. The driver initially indicated there may have been some type of mechanical problem with the bus. State Police have not determined the exact cause of the crash and will continue to investigate.