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Traffic accidents and safety

Texas church bus crash death toll rises to 13

KENS-TV, San Antonio


UVALDE COUNTY, Texas — The death toll from a church bus collision with a pickup rose to 13 late Wednesday, authorities said.

The church van was carrying members back from an annual spring retreat when the accident occurred. Initially, 12 people were killed and two others injured. Late Wednesday, the Bexar County Medical Examiner confirmed one of the injured people sent to University Hospital in San Antonio died.

A bus belonging to First Baptist Church of New Braunfels, Texas, collided with a pickup March 29, 2017.

Sgt. Conrad Hein of the Texas Department of Public Safety said the head-on collision happened around 12:30 p.m. CT Wednesday on U.S. 83 outside Garner State Park, about 75 miles west of San Antonio.

Hein said Wednesday evening that the pickup truck veered into the oncoming lane and collided with the van belonging to the First Baptist Church of New Braunfels. It had not been determined what caused the driver to cross into the other lane. The spokesperson said there were 14 people on the bus at the time of the crash. Only two survived. The driver of the truck also survived. It was not clear late Wednesday which of the injured had died.

Two of the victims were transported to University Hospital in San Antonio for treatment after the crash, according to a spokesperson for the hospital. One other victim was taken to San Antonio Military Medical Center.

Hein said the small bus was a 2004 Turtle Top, though he did not know the specific model. Turtle Top’s website features shuttle buses with capacities ranging from 17 to 51 passengers, which they bill as “a great alternative to the standard 15-passenger van.” Safety concerns have long surrounded the 15-passenger vans, also frequently used by churches and other groups, with advocates saying they can be difficult to control in an emergency.

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The Uvalde County Sheriff's Office said the major crash caused Highway 83 north to be closed near Garner State Park.

The church acknowledged on its website that its vehicle was involved in the crash: "We understand there have been some fatalities, but we do not yet know who. All activities for tonight are canceled. The Sanctuary will be open [Wednesday] evening for prayer and support. Please be in prayer for all involved."

KENS-TV's crew at the scene reported the trip was an annual spring retreat for church members 55 and older.

The church wrote in a post on the website that the group was returning from a three-day encampment at the Alto Frio Baptist Camp and Conference Center in Leakey, Texas, about 130 miles west.

Counselors will be on hand at the church Thursday, according to the website. "If you're a Christian, you can pray for those who lost their loved ones and for the church family," the church wrote.

The highway was closed for several hours after the crash. The National Transportation Safety Board said it is investigating the incident, NTSB spokesman Terry Williams said.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott released a statement in response to the crash, offering condolences:

"We are saddened by the loss of life, and our hearts go out to all those affected. We thank the first responders working on the scene in the wake of this unimaginable tragedy."

Contributing: The Associated Press. Follow KENS-TV on Twitter: @KENS5

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