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At least 13 dead in southern California tour bus crash

By Allen Cone
A tour bus crashed into a big rig's trailer at 5:17 a.m. Sunday near Palm Springs, Calif. Screenshot from KCAL-TV in Los Angeles.
A tour bus crashed into a big rig's trailer at 5:17 a.m. Sunday near Palm Springs, Calif. Screenshot from KCAL-TV in Los Angeles.

PALM SPRINGS, Calif., Oct. 23 (UPI) -- At least 13 people were killed after a tour bus and a big rig collided on Interstate 10 Sunday morning.

The Riverside County coroner's office confirmed the death toll to KNBC-TV in Los Angeles.

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Also, 31 people were transported to three area hospitals, the California Highway Patrol told the Desert Sun. Desert Regional Medical Center, which has the valley's only trauma center, was treating 14 patients Sunday morning, including five in critical condition and three in serious condition, the hospital's director of marketing, Rich Ramhoff, said.

The bus, belonging to USA Holiday, a Los Angeles-based tour company, may have been coming from Red Earth Casino, near the Salton Sea, CHP's Stephanie Hamilton said.

The driver, who was taken to the hospital for treatment, was identified as one of its owners, Hamilton said.

All westbound lanes of I-10 were closed at Indian Canyon.

The bus crashed into the big rig's trailer at 5:17 a.m. The front end of the tour bus crumpled into the back of the truck.

Hamilton said the highway patrol is bringing in its specialized unit that investigates major crashes, and the westbound freeway would be closed for some time.

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