Miami Bus Crash Kills 2 After Hitting Overpass
Several passengers are said to have "very serious" injuries.
Dec. 1, 2012— -- A double decker bus slammed into an overpass at Miami International Airport today, killing two people and critically injuring three passengers, authorities said.
The 27 other passengers on board the double decker tour bus also sustained injuries when it hit the overpass at 20 mph while traveling through the airport's arrivals section, an area off-limits to larger vehicles, Miami International Airport spokesman Greg Chin said.
"This driver got disoriented or I don't know what, but he wound up on the lower drive and he was going fairly fast, so he made contact with the roof of the lower drive," Chin said, adding that the overpass had been "clearly marked" with a warning that it was 8 feet, 6 inches high.
Buses are directed to go through the departures level, which allows for higher clearance vehicles, Chin said.
Two prominent signs warn drivers of large vehicles to not enter the concrete overpass. One at the top of the barrier reads: "High Vehicle STOP Turn Left." The other sign, positioned on the left side of the driveway, warns all vehicles higher than 8-foot-6 must turn left, The Associated Press reported.
Lt. Rosanna Cordero-Stutz, of the Miami-Dade Police Department, told ABC News' Miami affiliate that police are interviewing the bus driver, who said he was unfamiliar with the area and did not mean to end up at the airport.
It was not yet known where the private bus, which is used for tours, had been heading.