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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, March 26, 2008
CONTACT: Brooke Bohnenkamp, Public Information Officer, 605.773.3178
Bus Crash: 1 Dead, 51 Sent to Hospital
Pierre, SD-One man is dead and another 51 people were sent to the hospital following a two vehicle crash. It happened five miles east of Madison on Highway 34 around 10 this morning.
The initial investigation indicates a vehicle driven by Lance Parliament crossed the center line and collided with a passenger bus. Parliament, 24, of Sioux Falls died as a result of the crash.
All bus occupants were transported to a hospital. Ten people were seriously injured and transported by air to Sioux Falls hospitals. The other 41 people were transported to the hospital in Madison for observation or treatment of minor injuries.
The bus was chartered by J and R Bus Tours and was en route to a Flandreau Casino. Prior to the crash, the bus made stops in Mitchell, Artesian, Fedora, Howard, Madison, and at the Highway 34/ Highway 37 Junction.
Highway 34 near Madison remains closed from 459th Avenue to 461st Avenue. Traffic is being rerouted from 459th Avenue north to 233rd Street (old Highway 34) and then back onto Highway 34 at 462nd Avenue.
The South Dakota Highway Patrol continues to investigate the crash. The Lake County Sheriff’s Office is assisting.
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