Several Killed in Central Valley Greyhound Bus Crash

A Greyhound bus carrying 47 people and traveling to Sacramento from Los Angeles crashed on a highway in California's Central Valley on Thursday, killing six and injuring many others.

California Highway Patrol Officer Michelle Sigmond said the bus driver swerved to avoid another crash involving an overturned minivan and slammed into a concrete center divider and then hit another vehicle and a tree at about 2 a.m. just outside downtown Fresno.

In addition to the six dead, several people were hurt with injuries that ranged from critical to bruises and cuts, said CHP Officer Kirk Arnold.

Arnold said 47 people were on board the bus, and the driver was among the dead.

The bus departed Los Angeles late Wednesday and stopped in Fresno before continuing on its route to Sacramento.

Bonnie Bastian, a spokeswoman for Greyhound, said the bus was on its way to Madera for one of about eight scheduled stops en route to Sacramento when the crash occurred.

Northbound lanes of Highway 99, a major route through the San Joaquin Valley, have been closed since the crash.