Two people were killed and dozens were injured early Tuesday when a charter bus en route to New York City overturned on an exit ramp in Virginia, police said. There were 57 people aboard the Tao’s Travel bus when it crashed on Interstate 95 in Prince George County south of Richmond about 5:30 a.m., Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller said. Charges were pending against the driver, a 40-year-old man from Staten Island, whose name was not released, police said. He was not injured in the wreck, which police at the scene described as a “mass casualty” situation. “There are two confirmed fatalities,” Geller said. “One died at the scene and the second a few hours later at a nearby hospital. There are still multiple individuals being treated for injuries at area hospitals.” The bus, which departed from Orlando, Florida, stopped in Rocky Mountain, North Carolina, to switch drivers, police said. The injured passengers were taken to several hospitals in the Richmond area, including Johnston-Willis, Chippenham, VCU Medical Center, Southside Medical Center and John Randolph Medical Center. Brad Owens, the director of Fire and EMS for Prince George County, said in a press conference that he was aware that two people suffered life-threatening injuries. Police said there were “foggy conditions” at the time of the accident but they were unsure if that played a factor in the incident. The cause of the crash is under investigation. A representative with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration responded to the scene and the NTSB was notified. An employee of the Massachusetts-based Tao’s Travel told WNBC that the bus was chartered by a Chinatown-based company that sells tickets to customers. The company has a satisfactory federal safety rating and had not been involved in any crashes that caused injury in the past 24 months, according to online records. Family members seeking information about the patients can call 800-230-6977. The Prince George County Emergency Services Center may be reached at 804-733-2659 for information about the bus. A family reunification center was established at the Prince George County Central Wellness Center at 11023 Prince George Drive in Disputanta.<doc-sep>KINGWOOD, Va. (CBSNewYork) — A bus driver from Staten Island is facing charges following a deadly bus crash in Virginia. The bus overturned on Interstate 95 in Prince George County about 30 miles south of Richmond. Two people were killed, CBS2’s Lisa Rozner reported. The driver was identified as Yui Man Chow, 40, of Staten Island, N.Y.. He was charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter and was held at Riverside Regional Jail in Prince George County, Va. There were passengers on the bus from the Tri-State Area. Its final destination was Manhattan and it was supposed to arrive Tuesday. The charter bus, which originated from Orlando, Florida, crashed just after 5 a.m. State police responded to a mass casualty situation. In all, 57 people, including the driver, were on board. One passenger was pronounced dead at the scene, and another at a hospital. “The preliminary investigation shows that the bus was attempting to take the exit, ran off road left and overturned,” Virginia State Police spokesperson Corinne Geller said. Investigation continues into cause of Tao's Travel bus crash in @PrinceGeorgeVa Tuesday AM on I-95 that claimed 2 lives & injured dozens. Charges pending. Bus was traveling from #Orlando #FLA to #NYC. @FMCSA on scene w/#VSP Motor Carrier Safety Team. pic.twitter.com/pT2Yg6EtGO — VA State Police (@VSPPIO) March 19, 2019 Harlem resident Monique Berry was on the bus. “It just happened so fast. I closed my eyes and I felt something so fast like a roller coaster swirling and before I can look up or do anything I was going. We was going,” Berry said. Most of the passengers were taken to area hospitals. Officials said some of the injuries are life threatening. As for the 40-year-old driver, police said he was OK and speaking with investigators. Charges were pending. Police said he didn’t take over the trip until he switched with another driver in North Carolina. “I didn’t notice anything about the bus drivers, but I noticed some type of feud, you know, tension. It was something. I couldn’t pinpoint it,” Berry said. Virginia State Police said the bus is operated by Tao’s Travel Inc., which is based in Middleton, Massachusetts. Records show the company has been in business for six years and has had no major crashes, only minor violations like defective bus emergency exit windows. State police said the company sent another bus to pick up surviving passengers. Berry said she just wants to get home to her family in Harlem. “I made it and, um, and I thank God for everybody else that made it and I hope they get through it. I hope we all get through it,” Berry said. The bus company was last inspected in September. An employee for the company told CBS2 it has no comment. Police said the two people who died were adults, but so far have not released their identities. Officials say family members can call the Prince George County Emergency Services Center at 804-733-2659 for information related to those on the bus. A family reunification center is being established at the Prince George County Central Wellness Center at 11023 Prince George Drive in Disputanta, Va 23842.<doc-sep>
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A horrific crash early Tuesday morning on a Virginia highway killed at least two passengers on a New York City-bound charter bus, and left dozens injured. Charges are pending against a 40-year-old Staten Island man who was behind the wheel, according to a Virginia State Police spokeswoman. One passenger died at the scene and the second a few hours later at a nearby hospital. The remaining passengers’ injuries ranged from minor to serious, the spokeswoman said. The driver was reportedly headed north on I-95 in Prince George County when it attempted to take an exit ramp and careened off the left side of the ramp and overturned. The bus, belonging to Tao’s Travel Inc., was reportedly chartered by a Chinatown-based company that sells tickets and hires a bus for destinations. Officials said the bus departed from Orlando, then, stopped in Rocky Mount, N.C., to switch drivers before continuing north to New York City with more than 50 passengers aboard, including children. One passenger died at the scene and the second a few hours later at a nearby hospital, the spokeswoman said. The remaining passengers’ injuries range from minor to serious. The crash remained under investigation Tuesday afternoon as members of Virginia State Police (VSP) and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration remained on scene, according to the VSP Twitter account. Investigation continues into cause of Tao's Travel bus crash in @PrinceGeorgeVa Tuesday AM on I-95 that claimed 2 lives & injured dozens. Charges pending. Bus was traveling from #Orlando #FLA to #NYC. @FMCSA on scene w/#VSP Motor Carrier Safety Team. pic.twitter.com/pT2Yg6EtGO — VA State Police (@VSPPIO) March 19, 2019 Officials said they were looking into whether fog may have played a role, and investigating claims that the ramp is a problem area, according to a NBCNewYork report. Virginia State Police also said that they were notified that the particular ramp where the incident took place is a “problem area,” and were looking at that as a possible factor in the crash as well. Family of passengers can call the Prince George, VA Emergency Services Center at 804-733-2659 for more information. A family reunification center has been set up at Prince George County Central Wellness Center, at 11023 Prince George Drive.