UPDATE (May 1, 2013 - 10:15 A.M.)
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) -- A Leon County school teacher was killed early Wednesday after colliding with a charter bus on Interstate 10.
Chris Petley, public information officer for Leon County School District, tells WTXL that the victim in the crash, 22-year-old Abby Fishburn of Lakeland, Florida, was employed as a first year teacher at Deerlake Middle School. According to Deerlake Middle School's website she was a science teacher at the school.
Troopers with the Florida Highway Patrol say Fishburn was killed after colliding early Monday morning with a charter bus.
According to a report from FHP, the crash happened at 3:30 a.m. May 1. Troopers say a charter bus was traveling east on I-10 near North Monroe Street. Troopers say Fishburn was driving the wrong direction, going westbound in the same lane and eventually collided with the tour bus.
There were 43 people on the tour bus. WZVN in Fort Myers reports the bus was filled with high school students from Collier and Charlotte counties who were returning home from Pensacola after competing at a USA Skills Competition.
UPDATE at 12:58 P.M.
A spokesman released the following statement on behalf of Dolphin Transportation Company of Naples, Florida which was transporting the students from Pensacola to Naples.
Statement from Dolphin Transportation:
On May 1st, at 3:30 a.m. central time, a motorcoach operated by Dolphin Transportation Company of Napes, Florida was involved in an accident on Interstate 10 in the eastbound lanes in Tallahassee, Florida.
Dolphin Transportation Company is fully cooperating with the Florida Highway Patrol and other agencies. According to the Florida Highway Patrol the driver of a car was driving in the wrong direction when the vehicle struck the motorcoach. Dolphin Transportation wishes to express its sympathy to the family of the driver who died in the accident.
As many as 50 people were on the motorcoach and 17 people including the driver sustained injuries. The driver is the most seriously hurt and he will require surgery later today to repair a broken foot. The others have been treated and released from Tallahassee area hospitals.
Dolphin Transportation was returning students home to Collier County from Pensacola after competing at a USA Skills Competition. We are working with the Collier County School District and families to make sure all of the students are returned home safely.
Dolphin Transportation has been in operation in southwestern Florida since 2001 and our company puts the safe operation of our motorcoaches as its top priority. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulates, inspects and rates motorcoach companies on a regular basis and Dolphin received a ‘Satisfactory’ rating, which is the highest of the three. Dolphin Transportation also has Department of Defense approval to transport military personnel. Obtaining certification requires an extensive safety inspection and review process by outside inspectors.
Dolphin Transportation would like to express its gratitude to the following organizations that assisted our passengers to make sure they were safe and well during this accident.
- Leon County Fire Rescue, Leon County EMS, Leon County Sheriff’s Office
- Florida Highway Patrol, Florida Dept. of Transportation, Tallahassee Police Dept.
-
Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, Mike’s Limousine Service, Lake Jackson Towing Company"
-Statement released on behalf of Dolphin Transportation Company.
Stay with WTXL.tv and ABC27 on air for developments.
VIDEO
UPDATED (May 1, 2013 - 9:25 A.M.)
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.-- One person is dead after a head-on collision between a charter bus and a car on Interstate 10, according to Florida troopers.
Florida Highway Patrol responded to the incident at 3:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 1. Officials say a charter bus was traveling east on I-10, near Mile Marker 199, in the eastbound outside lane. Another vehicle, a 1997 Ford Taurus, was westbound in the same lane. The car and the bus crashed head-on, leaving both cars blocking the lane near the 199 exit ramp.
The driver of the Taurus, 22-year-old Abby Meredith Fishburn, died as a result of the collision. The driver of the tour bus, 42-year-old Johnny Brutus, suffered minor injuries. There were 43 passengers on the charter bus. The crash report does not state if any were injured.
Fishburn is a from Lakeland, Florida; Brutus is a resident of Naples, Florida.
The investigation into the crash is ongoing; charges are pending. It is unknown if alcohol was a factor in the incident.
UPDATED 8:25 A.M. MAY 1, 2013
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.-- One person is dead after a head-on collision between a charter bus and a car on Interstate 10, according to Florida troopers.
Florida Highway Patrol responded to the incident at 3:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 1.
Officials say a Dolphin charter bus was traveling east on I-10, near the intersection of U.S. Highway 27 (North Monroe), when it crashed into a car traveling the wrong way on Exit Ramp 199.
Troopers say the driver of the car was killed in the collision.
Eastbound exit ramp 199 and two lanes on I-10 are blocked until further notice. However, the inside lane is open at this time. Motorists are asked to use caution in the area.
Crews are currently working to clear the scene. We're told that debris from the incident is littering the roadway.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- At least one person is dead after a fatal crash near the intersection of US Highway 27 (North Monroe Street) and Interstate 10, according to Florida troopers.
Florida Highway Patrol responded to the incident at 3:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 1. Troopers say when they arrived on scene, they discovered a bus and a sedan had collided near Mile Marker 199 on I-10.
Troopers say that at least one person is dead as a result of the crash.
Eastbound exit ramp 199 and two lanes on I-10 are blocked until further notice. However, the inside lane is open at this time. Motorists are asked to use caution in the area.
Stay tuned to ABC 27 news as we bring you the latest information.
