- A blown tire on a semi-truck may be to blame for a deadly head-on crash with a commercial passenger bus along Interstate 40 in New Mexico near the Arizona border, according to authorities.

At least seven people were killed in the crash and many of the 49 passengers aboard the Greyhound bus were injured although authorities couldn't immediately provide an exact count of how many were hurt or their conditions.

We're working to get updates on this developing story on Channel 2 Action News This Morning

New Mexico State Police said the semi was headed east on the freeway Thursday afternoon when one of its tires blew, sending the rig across the median and into oncoming traffic where it slammed into the Greyhound bus heading to Phoenix from Albuquerque.

The National Transportation Safety Board and New Mexico state police are investigating.

At least nine bus passengers were being treated at University of New Mexico Hospital. UNM officials didn't release any details about the patients' conditions.

Passing motorists described a chaotic scene with passengers on the ground and people screaming.

Eric Huff was heading to the Grand Canyon with his girlfriend when they came across the crash.

Huff said the semi's trailer was upside down and "shredded to pieces," and the front of the Greyhound bus was smashed, with many of the seats pressed together. Part of the side of the bus was torn off, he said.

"It was an awe-inspiring terrible scene," he said

Truck driver Santos Soto III shot video showing the front of the Greyhound sheared off and the semi split open, with its contents strewn across the highway.

He saw people sobbing on the side of the road as bystanders tried to comfort them.

"I was really traumatized myself, because I've been driving about two years and I had never seen anything like that before," Soto said.

"I'm a pretty strong person and I broke down and cried for at least 30 minutes," he added.

Chris Jones was headed west on Interstate 40 when he caught his first glimpse of the semi turned over. He saw the rest of the wreckage and stopped to help before coming across the driver of the semi sitting on the shoulder of the highway.

"It was intense," Jones said.

He said the driver told him that one of his front tires had popped, forcing the truck to veer into oncoming traffic, where it struck the bus.

"We are fully cooperating with local authorities and will also complete an investigation of our own," Greyhound spokeswoman Crystal Booker said in a statement.

The crash occurred near the town of Thoreau. It forced the closure of westbound lanes of the interstate and traffic was backing up as travelers were diverted.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Medical investigators have confirmed there are now eight fatalities from a crash involving a semi-truck and commercial passenger bus on a New Mexico interstate.

The New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator said Friday that seven bodies were recovered from the scene and that another injured person who was taken to a hospital for treatment died.

New Mexico State Police they are working to identify the victims and trying to track their relatives.

Many others were injured in Thursday’s crash on Interstate 40, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) west of Albuquerque.

Greyhound bus officials have said 49 passengers were aboard the bus.

Hospitals in Albuquerque and Gallup were still treating injured patients, with some in critical condition.

The front of the bus was mangled and the semi-truck flipped with its tractor-trailer on its side and its cargo strewn across the road.

Officials said transportation workers will be cleaning up the debris Friday.</s>THOREAU, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico authorities say at least four people were killed in bus crash.</s>New Mexico authorities say at least four people were killed in bus crash

THOREAU, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico authorities say at least four people were killed in bus crash.</s>At least 4 killed in head-on bus crash in New Mexico

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — At least four people were killed and others were seriously injured Thursday in a head-on crash involving a commercial passenger bus and a semi-truck along Interstate 40 in New Mexico, near the Arizona border, authorities said.

Preliminary information indicated the semi was headed east when it blew a tire, sending the rig across the median and into oncoming traffic where it smashed into the bus, New Mexico State Police said.

There were 49 people aboard the Greyhound bus. Authorities said many were transported to hospitals, but they could not immediately provide an exact count of how many were hurt or their conditions.

Nine bus passengers were being treated at University of New Mexico Hospital with three more patients expected to be transported there later Thursday. UNM officials didn't release any details about the patients' conditions.

Passing motorists described a chaotic scene with passengers on the ground and people screaming.

Eric Huff was heading to the Grand Canyon with his girlfriend when they came across the crash.

Huff said the semi's trailer was upside down and "shredded to pieces," and the front of the Greyhound bus was smashed, with many of the seats pressed together. Part of the side of the bus was torn off, he said.

"It was an awe-inspiring terrible scene," he said

Truck driver Santos Soto III shot video showing the front of the Greyhound sheared off and the semi split open, with its contents strewn across the highway.

He saw people sobbing on the side of the road as bystanders tried to comfort them.

"I was really traumatized myself, because I've been driving about two years and I had never seen anything like that before," Soto said.

"I'm a pretty strong person and I broke down and cried for at least 30 minutes," he added.

Chris Jones was headed west on Interstate 40 when he caught his first glimpse of the semi turned over. He saw the rest of the wreckage and stopped to help before coming across the driver of the semi sitting on the shoulder of the highway.

"It was intense," Jones said.

He said the driver told him that one of his front tires had popped, forcing the truck to veer into oncoming traffic, where it struck the bus.

Greyhound said the bus was heading from Albuquerque to Phoenix.

"We are fully cooperating with local authorities and will also complete an investigation of our own," Greyhound spokeswoman Crystal Booker said in a statement.

The crash occurred near the town of Thoreau. It forced the closure of westbound lanes of the interstate and traffic was backing up as travelers were diverted.</s>THOREAU, N.M. — The Latest on a commercial bus crash in New Mexico (all times local):

New Mexico authorities say multiple people have been killed in a commercial passenger bus crash along Interstate 40.

New Mexico State Police did not say how many people died or how many were injured in Thursday’s crash.

They said passengers were transported to a hospital and a phone number was set up for family members seeking more information about people who were aboard the bus.

The wreckage included a Greyhound bus with front-end damage and a semi-truck that was on its side and with its cargo strewn across the highway and the median.

Greyhound says the bus was heading from Albuquerque to Phoenix and there were 47 passengers on board.

Spokeswoman Crystal Booker says it’s unclear what caused the crash.

The crash forced the closure of the westbound lanes of the interstate and traffic was backing up as travellers were being diverted.

New Mexico State Police say officers have confirmed multiple casualties from a commercial passenger bus crash along Interstate 40 near the Arizona-New Mexico state line.

Authorities did not release any other details, saying officers and rescue workers are still at the scene and that some passengers of the Greyhound bus were transported to a hospital in the area.

The McKinley County Office of Emergency Management set up a phone line for the family members of passengers who are looking for more information.

Images from the scene showed a semi-truck on its side and the bus with front-end damage. Debris from the semi also littered the area.

It was not immediately clear what caused the crash. Traffic was backed up along the interstate near the town of Thoreau as westbound lanes were blocked.

New Mexico State Police are reporting serious injuries among the passengers aboard a commercial bus that crashed along Interstate 40.

Authorities say police and rescue workers are on the scene but they did not provide details as to how many people were injured or what caused the crash. They said passengers are being transported to the hospital.

The crash happened Thursday afternoon near the town of Thoreau in western New Mexico. Traffic was being diverted as the westbound lanes of the interstate were closed due to the crash.</s>ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — At least four people were killed and others were seriously injured Thursday in a head-on crash involving a commercial passenger bus and a semi-truck along Interstate 40 in New Mexico, near the Arizona border, authorities said.

Preliminary information indicated the semi was headed east when it blew a tire, sending the rig across the median and into oncoming traffic where it smashed into the bus, New Mexico State Police said.

There were 49 people aboard the Greyhound bus. Authorities said many were transported to hospitals, but they could not immediately provide an exact count of how many were hurt or their conditions.

Nine bus passengers were being treated at University of New Mexico Hospital with three more patients expected to be transported there later Thursday. UNM officials didn’t release any details about the patients’ conditions.

Passing motorists described a chaotic scene with passengers on the ground and people screaming.

Eric Huff was heading to the Grand Canyon with his girlfriend when they came across the crash.

Huff said the semi’s trailer was upside down and “shredded to pieces,” and the front of the Greyhound bus was smashed, with many of the seats pressed together. Part of the side of the bus was torn off, he said.

“It was an awe-inspiring terrible scene,” he said

Truck driver Santos Soto III shot video showing the front of the Greyhound sheared off and the semi split open, with its contents strewn across the highway.

He saw people sobbing on the side of the road as bystanders tried to comfort them.

“I was really traumatized myself, because I’ve been driving about two years and I had never seen anything like that before,” Soto said.

“I’m a pretty strong person and I broke down and cried for at least 30 minutes,” he added.

Chris Jones was headed west on Interstate 40 when he caught his first glimpse of the semi turned over. He saw the rest of the wreckage and stopped to help before coming across the driver of the semi sitting on the shoulder of the highway.

He said the driver told him that one of his front tires had popped, forcing the truck to veer into oncoming traffic, where it struck the bus.

Greyhound said the bus was heading from Albuquerque to Phoenix.

“We are fully cooperating with local authorities and will also complete an investigation of our own,” Greyhound spokeswoman Crystal Booker said in a statement.

The crash occurred near the town of Thoreau. It forced the closure of westbound lanes of the interstate and traffic was backing up as travelers were diverted.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>THOREAU, N.M. — Seven people were killed and many others injured Thursday when a Phoenix-bound Greyhound bus crashed with a semi truck on Interstate 40 in New Mexico, police said.

“It was chaos,” said Officer Ray Wilson, a New Mexico State Police spokesman, in a media briefing. “The officers did a great job of sifting through the wreckage and the rubble to get survivors out of the bus..."

The New Mexico State Police said on Twitter that it appeared a tire blew out on an eastbound semitruck, causing it to veer into westbound traffic and crash head-on into the bus, shortly before noon. The crash occurred near Thoreau, N.M., about halfway between Albuquerque and Gallup.

Video and photos from the scene posted to social media show significant damage to the bus's front third.

Greyhound officials confirmed in a statement that the bus originated in St. Louis on Wednesday morning, had stopped in Albuquerque and was heading to Phoenix.

According to State police, 48 passengers were on board, but Greyhound spokeswoman Crystal Booker said 49 passengers were on the bus.

Information about the bus posted on the company website said it had stops scheduled in Grants, N.M., Gallup, N.M., Holbrook; Flagstaff; Glendale; and Phoenix, where it was scheduled to arrive at 4:25 p.m.

An electronic schedule board at the main Phoenix Greyhound station Thursday afternoon showed the bus' arrival time still posted, though it was listed as a few minutes after 4:30 p.m. The final scheduled destination was Los Angeles, where it was expected to arrive at 12:55 a.m. Friday.

The company's web site later showed the stops scheduled after Grants were canceled, but the bus departing from Phoenix to Los Angeles still scheduled.

Greyhound spokeswoman Crystal Booker said the company is cooperating with the local authorities.

"Our first priority is taking care of our passengers and their families as this incident has deeply impacted all involved," she said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone as we continue to give our support to all affected."

Information on how many people were scheduled to get off the bus in Phoenix or Glendale was not immediately available.

State police said all but six people were taken to local hospitals but did not provide further details on injuries.

The driver of the semitruck sustained non-life-threatening injuries in the crash, the agency said.

The crash shut the highway in both directions for hours, but by 8 p.m. one lane of the westbound interstate reopened along with both eastbound lanes, state police tweeted.

ABC News reported, quoting authorities, that more than 33 patients had been taken to local area hospitals with injuries; some were in critical condition.

The Gallup Indian Medical Center in Gallup received the most patients from the incident. Of the hospital’s 20 patients, four are children, officials there said in a conference call.

Kevin Gaines, the hospital's acting field medical officer, said none of the hospital’s patients had died, but two are in serious condition and one is in critical condition.

Around 5:40 p.m., the University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque confirmed to The Arizona Republic that five patients had been admitted and five were en route. Their conditions were unavailable.

Eric Huff was heading to the Grand Canyon with his girlfriend when they came across the crash, the Associated Press reported.

Huff said the semi’s trailer was upside down and “shredded to pieces,” and the front of the Greyhound bus was smashed, with many of the seats pressed together. Part of the bus's side was torn off, he told the AP.

The National Transportation Safety Board said it will investigate the crash.

Friends and family in need of information can call Greyhound on their Friends and Family hotline at 1-800-972-4583. New Mexico State Police have also put out an updated family contact number. Families can call at 505-722-4246.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

© Gannett Co., Inc. 2018. All Rights Reserved</s>At least 7 killed in head-on bus crash in New Mexico

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — At least seven people were killed and others were seriously injured Thursday in a head-on crash involving a commercial passenger bus and a semi-truck along Interstate 40 in New Mexico, near the Arizona border, authorities said.

Preliminary information indicated the semi was headed east when it blew a tire, sending the rig across the median and into oncoming traffic where it smashed into the bus, New Mexico State Police said.

There were 49 people aboard the Greyhound bus. Authorities said many were transported to hospitals, but they could not immediately provide an exact count of how many were hurt or their conditions.

Nine bus passengers were being treated at University of New Mexico Hospital with three more patients expected to be sent there. UNM officials didn't release any details about the patients' conditions.

Passing motorists described a chaotic scene with passengers on the ground and people screaming.

Eric Huff was heading to the Grand Canyon with his girlfriend when they came across the crash.

Huff said the semi's trailer was upside down and "shredded to pieces," and the front of the Greyhound bus was smashed, with many of the seats pressed together. Part of the side of the bus was torn off, he said.

"It was an awe-inspiring terrible scene," he said

Truck driver Santos Soto III shot video showing the front of the Greyhound sheared off and the semi split open, with its contents strewn across the highway.

He saw people sobbing on the side of the road as bystanders tried to comfort them.

"I was really traumatized myself, because I've been driving about two years and I had never seen anything like that before," Soto said.

"I'm a pretty strong person and I broke down and cried for at least 30 minutes," he added.

Chris Jones was headed west on Interstate 40 when he caught his first glimpse of the semi turned over. He saw the rest of the wreckage and stopped to help before coming across the driver of the semi sitting on the shoulder of the highway.

"It was intense," Jones said.

He said the driver told him that one of his front tires had popped, forcing the truck to veer into oncoming traffic, where it struck the bus.

Greyhound said the bus was heading from Albuquerque to Phoenix.

"We are fully cooperating with local authorities and will also complete an investigation of our own," Greyhound spokeswoman Crystal Booker said in a statement.

The crash occurred near the town of Thoreau. It forced the closure of westbound lanes of the interstate and traffic was backing up as travelers were diverted.

The National Transportation Safety Board and New Mexico state police are investigating.</s>KRQE(THOREAU, N.M.) — At least four people have been killed and others are seriously injured after a Greyhound bus crashed into a tractor trailer on a highway in New Mexico Thursday afternoon, police said.

The number of dead is expected to rise, officials said.

At least 42 people were transported to nearby hospitals, with another six being treated at the scene, authorities said.

“There are multiple serious injuries and passengers transported. Officers and EMS are actively working and assessing the scene, New Mexico State Police said.

More than 33 patients have been transported to local area hospitals with injuries, some are said to be in critical condition, officials said.

The NTSB is launching a go-team to investigate the crash, the agency told ABC News.

Christopher Jones said he got to the accident site just after the crash.

“I saw the tractor trailer flipped upside down the driver of the tractor trailer was on the shoulder just sitting there. So I grabbed my medical kit and grabbed a bunch of my gloves and got out there and just started helping people and it was a pretty rough site,” Jones told ABC News.

The driver of the tractor trailer told jones that his front tire popped off the vehicle, causing it to veer into oncoming traffic where it struck the bus.

“I was talking to the driver of the tractor trailer and when I flagged what happened and talked to the driver, he said his front drive tire popped on him and so it took him into the medium onto oncoming traffic right into the Greyhound upon impact, which I’m not too sure of the details. But I am guessing it was a head on collision,” Jones said.

Jones, who said he used to be a volunteer firefighter and EMT, described the scene as “one of the hardest” he’s ever had to see.

There were 49 passengers aboard Greyhound bus #1333, according to a statement from Greyhound. The bus was headed from Albuquerque to Phoenix.

“The total number of injuries has not been determined at this time. The cause of the incident has not yet been determined. We are fully cooperating with local authorities and will also complete an investigation of our own. Please contact the New Mexico State Police Department for any further details,” Greyhound said.

This is a breaking story, please check back for updates
At least eight people are reported dead and many sent to hospitals after a bus crash on a New Mexico highway.