Soledad Charter Bus Accident Kills at Least Five

Shortly before 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, a charter bus carrying French tourists overturned on a Highway 101 overpass in Soledad, about 100 miles southeast of San Francisco, killing at least 5 and injuring over a dozen passengers. According to California Highway Patrol spokesman Brian Wiest, the accident ejected four passengers from the vehicle, "sending one over the side of the road and onto railroad tracks 60 to 70 feet below. "It's a tragedy," Wiest said. "It's certainly one of worst I've seen in a long time." KTVU reports that a total of "36 people had been on board, including 34 French tourists, one Canadian tour guide and an American driver." The group was driving down to Southern California, heading to LAX to fly back to France. Three patients were whisked away to Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital, who are still in critical condition. One, a 52-year-old man, later died, according to hospital spokeswoman Adrienne Laurent. No word yet on what exactly caused the accident.