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A4 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 13 July 2023

3 dead, 14 hurt after Greyhound bus strikes semis in Illinois

By The Associated Press email that the bus was trav-
HIGHLAND, Ill. (AP) — A eling from Indianapolis to St.
Greyhound passenger bus Louis, where it was sched-
crashed into three tractor- uled to arrive at about 2:20
trailers parked along a a.m. It was carrying about
highway exit to a rest area 30 people, including the
early Wednesday in south- driver, he said.
ern Illinois, killing three peo- “Our primary concern is en-
ple and injuring 14 others, suring we care for our pas-
some seriously, state police sengers and driver at this
said. time,” Ogulnick said. “We
The St. Louis-bound bus was are working closely with lo-
traveling westbound along cal authorities and a relief
Interstate 70 in Madison bus is on the way for pas-
County around 1:55 a.m. sengers.”
when it crashed into the Another bus was sent to
three semis, Illinois State transport passengers who
Police said, citing an initial were not hurt, Ogulnick
investigation. said.
Four people were taken to It is illegal in Illinois for trucks
the hospital by helicopter to park on exit ramps. But
and at least 10 others were A damaged Greyhound bus is prepared for transport on Wednesday, July 12, 2023, from the trucking industry experts
taken by ambulance, state scene of a fatal wreck on westbound Interstate 70 after the bus collided with a tractor-trailer near say semis often stop there
police said in a news re- Highland, Ill. Associated Press for the night because over-
lease. night parking is hard to
Police did not immediately was not sure if the bus driv- ing cameras “so they’ll be Passenger Edward Alexan- find at rest stops and other
release details about those er was among those killed able to do a full check to der of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, places, such as truck stops.
who were injured and or injured or if all of those see how the accident oc- told the St. Louis Post-Dis- “And that’s not only dan-
killed. involved were passengers. curred.” patch he helped a preg- gerous for them but it’s
No one in the three trucks The crash closed west- Photos and TV footage nant woman get off the dangerous for the motoring
was injured in the crash bound traffic on I-70. show the side of the bus bus and was searching for public because they do
near the city of Highland The National Transporta- peeled open, the roof his phone when he “real- need their rest and they de-
about 25 miles (40 kilome- tion Safety Board will send crumpled. A second trac- ized smoke was coming in serve their rest,” Lewis Pugh
ters) east of St. Louis, police a team to investigate the tor-trailer appears to have the bus. I was like, ‘forget of the Owner-Operator In-
said. crash, the agency said. U.S. made contact with the that phone,’ and went on dependent Drivers Associa-
State Police spokesperson Rep. Mike Bost, an Illinois right rear of the bus while a and jumped out the win- tion said at a May hearing
Melaney Arnold said those Republican, said an NTSB third tractor-trailer appears dow.” before a House Committee
killed and injured were all official told him the bus was to have crashed into the Greyhound spokesperson on Transportation and Infra-
on the Greyhound bus. She equipped with monitor- rear of that second semi. Mike Ogulnick said in an structure subcommittee.q

Phoenix officials ask judge for more time in clearing downtown

camp of homeless people

PHOENIX (AP) — Phoenix encampment of homeless ing there. Phoenix has now identi- rights of homeless people.
city officials said Tuesday people called “The Zone,” About a year ago, as many fied a property for a struc- The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of
they have been slowly and and they asked a judge for as 1,000 people lived in the tured camping site with Appeals ruled in 2019 that
steadily clearing hundreds more time to clear out the tent city that exploded in bathrooms and showers homeless people cannot
of people from a downtown remaining hundreds still liv- size during the COVID-19 for those without housing, be criminalized for sleeping
pandemic. City officials which it hopes to open by outside if no alternatives
say up to 300 people have summer’s end. exist.
since left the site under ef- Attorneys for area business The American Civil Liberties
forts launched in late 2022 owners and residents said Union of Arizona argued in
to get them into shelters, or the city is taking too long a federal lawsuit that the
into temporary or perma- and is not doing enough. city is violating the consti-
nent housing. Area shelters Blaney said he would issue tutional rights of unhoused
are typically full. a decision within 60 days people by slowly clearing
Representing Phoenix, at- and asked both sides to file the area. However, U.S. Dis-
torney Justin Pierce told their findings and conclu- trict Court Judge G. Murray
Judge Scott Blaney that sions with the court on Aug. Snow declined the ACLU’s
much progress has been 11. request in May to declare
made since March, when This civil suit is one of two Phoenix in contempt of a
the court ordered Phoenix facing Phoenix. ruling he issued in Decem-
to lessen the public nui- Like several other major ber and said he would not
sance the encampment cities, Phoenix has been bar the city from further
A large homeless encampment is shown in Phoenix, on Aug. 5, created. challenged to balance cleanups at the encamp-
2020. Deputy City Manager the concerns of businesses ment site pending another
Associated Press Gina Montes testified that and homeowners with the hearing.q