Authorities release name of bus crash victim

PALA MESA (CNS) – Authorities Friday released the name of a Van Nuys
woman who died in a tour bus crash that also left 20 others injured on a rain-
slicked North County road.

Tayde Murguia, 64, died in the crash on southbound Interstate 15 south
of state Route 76 about 2:30 p.m. Thursday, according to the San Diego County
Medical Examiner's Office.

A 56-year-old Compton man was driving the Bell-based Five Star Bus
Charter from Los Angeles to Valley View Casino when he lost control for unknown
reasons, said California Highway Patrol Officer Jim Bettencourt.

The driver told investigators he was going about 55 miles per hour in
the slow lane when the bus began to swerve and eventually ended up on its side
in the right shoulder.

“Slick roadways in the area due to recent rain may have prevented the
bus driver from regaining control of the bus,” Bettencourt said.

A total of 22 people were aboard the bus at the time, including Murguia
who was partially ejected and became trapped underneath the bus. She died at
the scene as a result, according to Bettencourt.

Six other people suffered major injuries and 14 more had minor injuries,
he said, adding paramedics transported everyone to Palomar Medical Center in
Escondido, Fallbrook Hospital or Tri-City Medical Center in Oceanside.

One person left the scene independently after refusing medical attention.

No other vehicles were involved in the crash, which left two lanes of
the freeway shut down for several hours.

Neither drugs nor alcohol were believed to have been factors,
Bettencourt said.