A Greyhound passenger bus collided with three trailers parked on a highway turnoff leading to a rest stop in Illinois early Wednesday morning, killing three people and injuring 14, some critically, police said.
The bus was heading west on Interstate 70 in Madison County at about 1:55 am when it collided with the three trailers, Illinois State Police said, adding that an investigation is underway.
Four people were taken to a hospital by helicopter and at least 10 others by ambulance, state police added. No further details were given.
No one in the three trucks was injured in the crash near the town of Highland, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of St. Louis, police said.
State police spokeswoman Melaney Arnold said all the dead and injured were on the Greyhound bus. It was unknown if the bus driver was among the dead or injured.
Television footage from the scene showed the front right of the bus badly damaged and wedged into the back of a tractor. Crumpled bus roof.
Greyhound spokesman Mike Ogulnick told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in an email that the bus was traveling from Indianapolis to St. Louis, where it was scheduled to arrive around 2:20 a.m. It was carrying about 30 people, including the driver, he said.
"Our main concern is to make sure we take care of our passengers and the driver at this time," Ogulnick said. "We are working closely with the local authorities and a relief bus is on the way for the passengers."
Another bus was dispatched to carry passengers who were not injured, Ogulnick said.
