HIGHLAND, Ill. — The National Transportation Safety Board released a preliminary report Wednesday on the Greyhound bus crash that left three people dead and 14 others injured in Madison County, Illinois.
According to the report, a bus carrying 21 people from Indianapolis to St. Louis on westbound Interstate 70 exited onto the ramp to the Silver Lake Rest Area in Highland, Illinois, and collided with three tractor-trailers parked on the right shoulder at about 1:50 a.m. on July 12.
The exit had a posted speed limit of 40 mph, according to NTSB.
An image annotated by NTSB showed the Greyhound bus' destructive path, striking Freightliner, Kenworth and Mack trucks.
Three passengers on the bus were killed. The bus driver and remaining passengers suffered minor to serious injuries. The tractor-trailer drivers - all inside their vehicles at the time of the crash - were uninjured.
According to NTSB, the rest stop has 21 designated commercial truck parking spots, with one of those being a handicap space. The report did not say whether all of the spots were full at the time of the crash.
Days after the crash, NTSB said investigators were specifically looking at the safety risks posed by trucks parked on ramps, a common practice for truckers.
“It’s absolutely an issue,” NTSB board member Tom Chapman said.
All aspects of the crash remain under investigation while the NTSB determines the probable cause, according to the board's preliminary report. The final report could take one or two years to complete.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Illinois State Police, Illinois Department of Transportation, Highland-Pierron Fire Protection District, City of Highland Fire Department and Greyhound Lines, Inc. are assisting NTSB with the investigation.