Fatal Wreck Involving Tour Bus and 18 Wheeler

PANOLA COUNTY — Two people are dead and another is airlifted to a Tyler hospital after a wreck in Panola County. The wreck happened around 1:00 a.m. Thursday on Highway 59 near the FM 1974 intersection. State Troopers on scene tell KETK an El Expreso tour bus was traveling north when the driver got word a passenger was left behind at a truck stop.

The bus driver attempted an U-turn but turned into a tractor trailer carrying sand. The bus driver along with a passenger were thrown from the bus and were pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the tractor trailer was flown to a Tyler hospital with a head injury. A couple of passengers were taken to a local hospital for minor injuries. The other passengers were taken back to the truck stop to wait for another bus. A passenger told KETK the bus was heading from Houston to Chicago. No names have been released at this time.