Alcohol, speed, both factors in party bus crash with tractor trailer, police say 

Alcohol and speed were both factors in a party bus’ crash with a semi truck in Virginia last week, police say.

The crash happened just after 1:30 a.m. on Friday, December 16th near Williamsburg, Virginia and has prompted a safety investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board in cooperation with state police. The agency will occasionally look into non aviation related crashes if they have ‘significant safety implications nationwide, involve the loss of numerous lives, or generate high interest because of emerging technologies or because of their circumstances,’ according to an email to 6 News Richmond from NTSB spokesman Eric Weiss.

Both vehicles were in the eastbound lanes of I-64 when the “passenger bus merged into the tractor trailer’s path” and the “vehicles collided,” state police said. Three of the 23 bus passengers died. The bus driver, remaining passengers, and truck driver all had non life threatening injuries. The victims in the crash have been identified as 19-year-old Montia Bouie, 25-year-old Xavier Raquan Evans, and 21-year-old Johntae Kaalib Russel.

Virginia police say that “charges are pending” as they consult with the local prosecutor’s office in York County, but that alcohol and speed were both factors in the incident.