This information is preliminary and subject to change. Release Date 2 October 2024
On Saturday, August 31, 2024, about 12:33 a.m. central daylight time, a 2018 Volvo 9800 Grand L motorcoach was traveling west on Interstate 20 (I 20) near Vicksburg, Warren County, Mississippi. The 51 passenger motorcoach, operated by Autobuses Regiomontanos, was occupied by the driver, a co-driver, and 41 passengers. At the crash location, westbound I-20 has a posted speed limit of 70 mph, two traffic lanes, an acceleration lane from a truck inspection facility that merges with the right traffic lane, and a wooded median with a downward cross-slope that separates the west- and eastbound directions of travel. Near mile marker 9.5, the motorcoach departed the right traffic lane, crossed over the left traffic lane, and departed the westbound roadway. The motorcoach traveled down the sloped median, slowed, then overturned onto its left side and slid a short distance down the median before coming to rest.
Several occupants were ejected from the motorcoach. Seven passengers were fatally injured, the driver sustained minor injuries, the co-driver sustained serious injuries, and the remaining 34 passengers sustained injuries ranging from serious to minor.
Parties to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation are:
- Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
- Mississippi Department of Public Safety; Commercial Transportation Enforcement Division and Mississippi Highway Patrol
- Mississippi Department of Transportation
All aspects of the crash remain under investigation while the NTSB determines the probable cause, with the intent of issuing safety recommendations to prevent similar events.
