HIGHLAND, Ill. — The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) says it has launched an investigation into a Greyhound bus crash that killed three people and 14 injured this morning on I-70 near Highland, Ill. The Illinois State Police says the Greyhound bus struck three semi tractor-trailers parked on the exit ramp to Silver Lake Rest Area, about 25 miles east of St. Louis. The three fatalities came from on board the bus.

The crash happened just before 2 a.m and Greyhound confirmed to Spectrum News that the bus was traveling from Indianapolis to St. Louis.

What You Need To Know

  • Three people are dead, 14 injured after a Greyhound bus struck three tractor-trailers parked on an exit ramp to a rest area on I-70 outside of St. Louis

  • Greyhound confirmed for Spectrum News the bus was traveling from Indianapolis to St. Louis

  • A team of National Transportation Safety Board investigators is arriving Wednesday night and early Thursday to begin a probe of the accident, which could last a week

  • Related Links: The NTSB says it will focus on rest area safety and driver fatigue

“Three fatalities are confirmed and multiple others were taken to a hospital with serious injuries, four by helicopter and at least 10 by ambulance,” state police said in a news release.

The victims have been identified by the Madison County Coroner’s Office as:

  • Buford Pena, 71, of Supai, Arizona
  • Bradley L. Donovan, 47, of Springfield, Illinois
  • Juan E. Vasquez-Rodriguez, 34, of Passaic, New Jersey

Images of the crash scene shows the side of the bus peeled open and damage to the roof. At least one tractor-trailer has damage to thje rear, with its side peeled back and contents exposed.

Dawanda Parker, from California, was on a cross-country trip that started in Buffalo and was supposed to end in downtown Los Angeles. She told Spectrum News she was asleep in the last row when the crash happened.

"I just see a guy in front of me that's slumped over.....I got to get him to go....but he wouldn't move." She believes the man died in the crash. Parker and others kicked a window out and climbed out of the bus.

Ilinois State Police spokesperson Melaney Arnold said those killed and injured were all on the Greyhound bus. 

“Multiple passengers, including our driver, have been transported to the hospital.  Our primary concern is ensuring we care for our passengers and driver at this time.  We are working closely with local authorities,” says Mike Ogulnick, a spokesperson for Greyhound.

A relief bus took Parker and other victims to the hospital. She said she has a broken rib, hip pain and glass in her eyes.

By 11am, she was at Greyhound's downtown St. Louis station, waiting for her bags and a 5:45 p.m. bus to California.

It is illegal in Illinois for trucks to park on exit ramps. But trucking industry experts say semis often stop there for the night because overnight parking is hard to find at rest stops and other places, such as truck stops.

“And that’s not only dangerous for them but it’s dangerous for the motoring public because they do need their rest and they deserve their rest,” Lewis Pugh of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association said at a May hearing before a House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee.

Tom Chapman, an investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board said it was too early to know what caused the crash, or why the commercial trucks were parked on the exit ramp. Chapman said rest area safety would be part of the team's probe. Investigators are due to arrive by late Wednesday or early Thursday to begin their work, which could last on the ground for a week. 

Traffic on westbound I-70 is back open but there could be some delays as crews work to clean up the area.