Las Vegas tour bus crashes in California desert, injuring 19 people

Friday, September 10th 2004, 6:39 am

By: News On 6

BAKER, Calif. (AP) _ A tour bus headed to Las Vegas ran off a freeway and tipped over in heavy rain near the Nevada state line, injuring all 19 people aboard, including two critically, authorities said.

The bus had picked up passengers in Cerritos and was heading north when it went off Interstate 15 and landed on its side Thursday, said Tracey Martinez, spokeswoman for the San Bernardino County Fire Department.

It went down a 15- to 20-foot ditch, overturned and ejected 10 people, including the driver, California Highway Patrol Sgt. Tim Smith said.

A nursing supervisor at University Medical Center in Las Vegas said two people were in critical condition and three in serious condition.

Martinez said none of the injuries were life-threatening. The driver and tour guide were seriously injured, she said.

A dispatcher at Lion Express in Covina said the bus was taking Thai tourists to Las Vegas.

The crash was under investigation but was believed to be weather-related. It was among at least eight accidents reported in the area within three hours, Martinez said.