Highway Accident Kills US College Hopefuls

VOA News
11 April 2014 (12:15PM)

Tragedy struck a group of U.S. high school students headed to a college tour in California Thursday, when a delivery truck slammed into their bus, killing 10 people.

Officials say the FedEx truck crossed a highway divider before crashing head-on into the bus. Both vehicles then burst into flames.

The accident happened near the city of Orland, about 250 kilometers north of San Francisco. Both drivers were killed along with five teenage students and three adult chaperones. More than 30 people were injured.

California Highway Patrol officials say a third vehicle was also involved in the accident.

The 44 students on the bus, many of them from the Los Angeles area, were headed to Humboldt State University in northern California.

A statement on the university's website says three buses - two from Los Angeles and one from Fresno - were carrying the students to the campus. The two buses not involved in the accident have arrived on campus where the students have been placed in dormitories.

The university says the students took the long ride north to participate in Preview Plus, a 20-year-old program that brings low-income and first-generation prospective college students from the Los Angeles and San Francisco areas to Humboldt's campus.

The students are scheduled to attend an annual Spring Preview event with other prospective students on Friday. The teenagers are set to meet Saturday with the staff from Humboldt's Educational Opportunity Program, which helps historically underrepresented students achieve their academic, personal and career goals.

Humboldt's president, Rollin Richmond said the university is "deeply saddened" by the tragic accident. He said "our hearts go out to those who have been affected and we are here to support them and their families, in any way possible."