Jones County — A group of college students got a scare today when the tour bus they were in caught on fire on exit 78 on the interstate. The driver, Juan Johnson with Birmingham Express Bus Lines, stated the group was traveling north on I-59 when an unknown object fell off of an 18-wheeler in front of the bus. He swerved to miss the object but was unable to completely avoid it, hitting the object with his rear driver’s side tire.
As he was exiting the interstate on the Sanford Road exit, he noticed flames near the tire. Once the bus stopped, all 29 passengers were able to safely exit the vehicle and the driver attempted to use a fire extinguisher on the blaze. Upon arrival of the first responding fire apparatus, the bus was fully engulfed in flames. Moselle, Southwest and South Jones volunteer fire departments responded to the scene.
No injuries were reported but the bus sustained major damage in the incident. The Sanford Road exit on the northbound side of I-59 was closed for about an hour while emergency crews cleared the scene. MHP and Jones County Sheriff’s Office were also on scene.
The passengers were University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa college students traveling home from New Orleans, where they had attended a fraternity formal.
Information by Dana Bumgardner/PIO, Jones County Fire Council