Investigations of Bus Crashes, Two Fatalities, on Rain-Slick Roads Continue

A man who was injured Thursday in a tour bus crash on rain-slick Interstate 15 in Corona died later at a hospital, and investigations were continuing in crashes of two other buses on wet So Cal roads Dec. 19, authorities said Friday.

Here's a glance at three bus crashes reported Thursday:

- Fourteen people were hospitalized when a Riverside Transit Agency bus lost traction and crashed into a sedan at 8:59 a.m. Dec. 19 in Romoland, according to Cal Fire and the California Highway Patrol.

- Two dozen people were injured, one fatally, when a bus from Pala Casino Spa & Resort crashed at 2:30 p.m. Dec. 19 on the 15 in Corona, according to Corona Fire and the CHP.

- One person was killed and 21 others were hospitalized when a bus on its way to Valley View Casino crashed at 2:30 p.m. Dec. 19 on the 15 in north San Diego County, according to the CHP.

In the Romoland crash, on Highway 74 at Briggs Road, east of Interstate 215, two patients had serious injuries, four had moderate injuries and eight had minor injuries, according to Cal Fire-Riverside County.

The man who died from his injuries in the Corona crash was identified by the Riverside County coroner as Khang Tieu, 91, of Midway in Orange County. Tieu was pronounced deceased at 10:03 p.m. Dec. 19 at Riverside Community Hospital.

"Unsafe speed" was a factor in the bus crash in Corona, CHP Officer Travis Monks said.

The driver, Jian Fei Duan, 35, of Baldwin Park, was at the wheel of a Sina International tour bus northbound on Interstate 15, north of Ontario Avenue, during wet rainy weather, Monks said.

Duan had the bus traveling at 65 miles per hour, "unsafe speed for roadway conditions," and he was unable to control the bus on the wet roadway, Monks said.

The bus traveled off the road, struck a center median guardrail, flipped on its side and came to rest blocking two traffic lanes, Monks said.

"Emergency personnel responded from several agencies to include the California Highway Patrol-Riverside Area," Monks said. "A triage area was established to assess and treat injuries to 23 passengers and driver. All passengers were transported by ground ambulance to area hospitals with injuries ranging from minor to moderate."

The crash investigation lasted several hours and all lanes were re-opened by 8:15 p.m.

In north San Diego County, a southbound bus operated by Bell-based Five Star Bus Charter crashed on the 15 near State Route 76 in the Pala Mesa area.

Ambulances took a total of 21 victims to several North County trauma centers, NorthComm Dispatch reported.

The San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office identified the deceased as Tayde Murguia, 64, of Van Nuys.