John

A tour bus carrying diverted airline passengers crashed on an interstate exit ramp early Friday, killing the driver and injuring a dozen passengers.

The bus was trying to exit the southbound lanes of I-81 in northeastern Pennsylvania when it crashed through several barriers, crossed the ramp and landed with part of the vehicle hanging off the roadway, according to state police.

The cause of the crash remained under investigation.

The bus driver died at the scene. Twelve passengers were taken to hospitals by ambulances, but airline officials said their injuries were not believed to be serious.

The passengers had been among about 170 people on a flight from Salt Lake City to Newark, N.J., that was diverted to Syracuse, N.Y., because of bad weather Thursday night, said Brian Drake, a spokesman for Delta Air Lines Inc. in Syracuse.

After the plane landed, mechanics discovered a hydraulic leak that could not immediately be fixed, Drake said. The airline was unable to find hotel rooms for the passengers, so it called in seven tour buses, which left for Newark around 2:30 a.m.

Most of the passengers suffered only minor injuries and were continuing on their way to Newark, Drake said.

(Newsday)

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