Oakland

‘A Lot of Chaos': Passenger Recounts Deadly Greyhound Bus Crash

A 22-year-old man's quick reaction may have saved his life when a Greyhound bus he was in flipped on its side early Tuesday in South San Jose.

Two women died in the accident reported shortly before 6:40 a.m. on U.S. Highway 101 at state Route 85, according to the California Highway Patrol. Eight other passengers were also injured, police said.

"I heard a lot of screaming," said Christopher McClellan, a San Jose resident who survived the accident.

McClellan said there was "a lot of chaos" and that the bus rolled over five times. He credits his immediate reaction as the reason he survived the accident.

"I actually did a barrel roll jump down to where your feet would be, tightened up and made sure I was secure," McClellan said of once he felt the bus start to tip.

McClellan said he has a habit of thinking about escape routes every time he enters a vehicle.

"Any kind of vehicle I jump into I jokingly think of an exit," he said.

After the incident McClellan checked on the other passengers.

 "I got out safe and made sure all the others were out, and went back and grabbed their belongings," he said.

The Greyhound bus was carrying 20 passengers when it flipped on its side, according to the CHP.

The driver, identified by CHP as 58-year-old Gary Bonslater, was reportedly in stable condition at Regional Medical Center in San Jose.

CHP Officer Chris Miceli in a news conference on Tuesday acknowledged the driver had been "fatigued."

"He did say he was fatigued leading up to the collision," Miceli said of Bonslater. "He says he remembers hitting the black barrels and then the next thing he remembers the bus was on its side."

Bonslater is a resident of Victorville and was hired by Greyhound 26 years ago. He had a clean driving record prior to Tuesday's accident, the CHP said.

The two women killed in the crash were ejected from the windows, police said. One woman killed in the crash has been identified by family members as 51-year-old Fely Olivera, who leaves behind two sons.

Greyhound spokeswoman Lanesha Gipson did not provide additional details of the crash and said it was under investigation.

"We do apologize," Gipson said. "Safety is the cornerstone of our business."

She would not elaborate on any more details of the crash, saying it was under investigation.

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

Friends and family of anyone who was on Greyhound bus No. 6876 can call 1-800-972-4583 to check on their status.

NBC Bay Area's Kris Sanchez, Lisa Fernandez, Shawn Murphy, Marianne Favro, Michelle Roberts, Cheryl Hurd and Rhea Mahbubani contributed to this report.

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