9 hospitalized after Lynx bus overturned on I-4

ORLANDO, Fla. (FOX 35 ORLANDO) - Authorities say nine people have been hospitalized with minor injuries after a commuter bus overturned on an interstate in Florida.

The incident occurred on Interstate 4, near Orange Blossom Trail. There were passengers inside the bus.  Among those taken to the hospital, none of the injuries were life-threatening.  

"Banged up, bruised up, but fortunately we didn't see any life threatening injuries," said Orlando Fire Chief Walter.

Westbound lanes of the interstate were closed for more than two hours while a hazmat crew cleaned up oil and debris.

We want to apologize to everybody that was stuck on I-4 today. Our safety team is currently investigating the situation," said Lynx spokesperson Katie Lockard.  

According to Lynx, the bus driver lost control of the vehicle as the lanes on I-4 shifted to the left, causing him to go slightly into the left lane. When he tried correcting, investigators said the bus skidded into a concrete barrier and flipped on its side. Investigators said the pavement was wet from rain and the surface changed from asphalt to concrete in the area of the crash.

"Sounds like it had a lot to do with environmental," said Glenn Victor of the United Safety Council, after reading the report released by Lynx.

It states the bus driver was traveling between 52 and 56 miles per hour, in the 50-mile-per-hour zone.

"The construction companies working on I-4, DOT they've done all they can to make I-4 safe during construction," Victor added, "but the fact of the matter is, it is dangerous in certain areas where there are those quick turns and lane shifts."

Drivers like Shannon Pay agree.

"It's very dangerous to me. The shift in the traffic pattern is like you're on a speedway. It gets slippery like that and it's hard to get control of it. So I understand how that bus driver, how it flipped," she said/

Police say no other vehicles were involved.

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