Bus Carrying Youth Group Overturns and Catches Fire on Mountain Road

Bus Crash on Highway 38

• 🚌 A bus carrying 36 passengers, mostly teenagers returning from a church retreat, overturned and caught fire on Highway 38 near Running Springs.
• ⚠️ The driver reported brake malfunction and intentionally crashed the bus into a boulder to avoid going off a cliff.
• 🏥 Approximately 20 people were hospitalized, with 3 sustaining serious injuries, but miraculously, no fatalities occurred.

Survivor Accounts

• 😱 Passengers described a terrifying scene with screaming, the smell of smoke, and waking up disoriented after the crash.
• 🆘 Many victims had to crawl through escape hatches, while others were pulled to safety by bystanders.

Community Support and Investigation

• 🙏 The community gathered at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Santa Ana to support the victims and their families.
• 🔍 The California Highway Patrol is currently investigating the official cause of the crash.
• 🧳 Luggage belonging to the victims was being stored at the church as they recovered.