Two dead, dozens injured in U.S. bus crash, charges pending against driver

RICHMOND, the United States, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Police in U.S. state of Virginia said charges are pending against the driver of a commercial bus after its crash on a foggy highway Tuesday morning killed two passengers and injured dozens others.

The crash occurred at approximately 5:22 a.m. when the bus overturned at the on-ramp for an exit along Interstate 95 in Prince George County, about 60 kilometers south of Richmond, Virginia's capital, the state police said in a statement.

The bus, carrying 57 people, including the driver, was headed north on I-95 when it attempted to take the exit ramp, according to the statement. "The vehicle ended up running off the left side of the ramp and overturned."

One person died at the scene, and another died at a nearby hospital, the state police said.

All 54 passengers who survived the crash were hospitalized, according to NBC News. The state police said their injuries range from minor to serious and numerous are still being treated at area hospitals.

The bus driver, a 40-year-old male from Staten Island, a borough of New York City (NYC), was not injured in the crash.

The state police said the bus departed from Orlando, state of Florida before stopping in Rocky Mount, state of North Carolina, for a driver switch and was continuing north to its final destination in NYC when the crash occurred.

A representative with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is on scene. The National Transportation Safety Board has been notified.

The crash remains under investigation and charges against the driver, which are unspecified, are pending.

The bus belongs to Tao's Travel Inc., which applied for its permit and license in Flushing, NYC, but is based in Middleton, state of Massachusetts, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The company has eight drivers and four vehicles, none of which have ever been in an accident since Tao's started operating in 2013, NBC News reported.