RICHFIELD, Utah (9/22/19) – The National Transportation Safety Board has been investigating the deadly crash that killed four Chinese tourists and injured over a dozen more Friday.
WATCH: Latest update from the hospital where crash victims were transported after the incident.
In a press conference held Sunday afternoon, the NTSB said the driver, who has been cooperating with the investigation, was a new hire and this was his first trip. They do have some information on his driving history but they are still working to confirm details of his driving record.
The NTSB said the 2017 Freightliner bus had 37 passengers including the driver. The bus is described as a mid-sized bus and was required to pass safety inspections and standards. The bus was equipted with seat belts.
NTSB said they will release a preliminary report in the next couple of weeks.
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UPDATE (9/21/19) – Utah Highway Patrol and investigators are working to sort out exactly what happened to cause the driver of a tour bus to lose control and crash into a guardrail, killing four of his passengers and injuring more than a dozen more.
ABC4’s Katie Karalis has been doing some investigating Saturday on the company who owns the tour bus as well as talked to a first responder who was on scene.
Her full report will be released Saturday night on ABC4 at 10 p.m.
What we know about the remaining patients at area hospitals:
As of 11:30 a.m. Saturday there were still 13 people in the hospital. 11 of them are at Dixie Regional Hospital. Five of the patients are still critical, five are in serious condition and one has been discharged.
Intermountain Utah Valley Hospital still has two patients, both in serious condition
The names of the four individuals who died were released Saturday night.
They are three women: Ling Geng, 68, Xiuyun Chen, 67 and Zhang Caiyu, 62 and one man: ZhongLiang Qiu, 65.
All victims are from Shanghai, China.
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GARFIELD COUNTY, Utah (ABC4 News) – Five people remain in critical condition after a bus crash that killed four Chinese tourists and injured dozens more near Bryce Canyon National Park.
Several agencies responded to the crash on Highway 12 in Garfield County late Friday morning.
Utah Highway Patrol said a tour bus with 30 passengers plus the driver was eastbound on SR-12 heading towards Bryce Canyon. The bus drifted off the road to the right. The driver overcorrected to the left and the bus rolled one time.
The bus landed on a guardrail during the roll and then came to rest on its wheels blocking the westbound lane.
SR-12 was closed for nearly eight hours while Utah Highway Patrol investigated the crash.
Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Nick Street said Friday evening that the bus originated in Southern California, and the tourists on board were natives of mainland China.
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This photo released by the Utah Highway Patrol shows a tour bus carrying Chinese-speaking tourists after it crashed near Bryce Canyon National Park in southern Utah, killing at least four people and critically injuring up to 15 others, Friday, Sept. 20, 2019. (Utah Highway Patrol via AP) 
This photo released by the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office shows a tour bus that was carrying Chinese-speaking tourists after it crashed near Bryce Canyon National Park in southern Utah, killing at least four people and critically injuring up to 15 others, Friday, Sept. 20, 2019. (Sheriff Danny Perkins/Garfield County Sheriff’s Office via AP) 
In this photo released by the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office, Emergency Medical Services personnel assist victims of a bus crash near Bryce Canyon National Park in southern Utah, Friday, Sept. 20, 2019. (Sheriff Danny Perkins/Garfield County Sheriff’s Office via AP) 
The National Transportation Safety Board announced a 10-member team would be responding to the crash site on Saturday to begin a safety investigation.
This is developing story. We will continue to provide updates as details are released.
