62°F
weather icon Mostly Clear

Paramedics hail boy as hero after Arizona bus crash that killed six

SACATON, Ariz. -- A bilingual 4th grader hurt in an Arizona bus accident that killed six people and injured more than a dozen others translated from an ambulance stretcher for busy rescue workers as they hurried to set up a triage center, authorities said Saturday.

Oscar Rodriguez of Las Vegas was labeled a hero by firefighters and paramedics for helping them communicate with non-English speaking passengers just after Friday's pre-dawn crash on an interstate.

They presented him with gifts and a certificate that reads "Hero of the day" during a visit with him at a Phoenix hospital Saturday.

"This kid stayed calm and was brave more than any other veteran I've worked with," said Kenneth Leslie, a paramedic who, with his partner, was the first to arrive at the scene.

The bus was traveling from the central Mexican state of Zacatecas to Los Angeles. It entered the United States at El Paso, Texas, and was headed to Phoenix to change drivers when it hit a pickup , veered onto the left shoulder of the road, overcorrected and rolled. The roof of the bus was crushed and its windows were knocked out.

Rodriguez, 11, was one of 22 passengers aboard the bus when it crashed at about 5:30 a.m. MST on the Gila River Indian Reservation, some 25 miles south of downtown Phoenix.

Rodriguez and 15 others suffered injuries, including head injuries and broken spines and pelvises. More than a dozen people remained hospitalized Saturday, including the bus driver who was among nine listed in critical condition at area hospitals.

Maricopa Medical Center hospital spokesman Michael Murphy said Rodriguez was in good condition. He didn't offer specifics on Rodriguez's injuries.

Federal transportation officials said the bus, owned by Van Nuys, Calif.-based Tierra Santa Inc., was operating illegally. The company was told in April and again in December not to transport passengers across state lines.

Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.
THE LATEST
Nevadans support diaper tax exemption, state lottery

A public opinion poll on how Nevadans are feeling about several ballot questions found majority support a tax exemption for diapers, open primaries and ranked choice voting, and enshrining abortion rights into the constitution.

 
Sam Bankman-Fried, fallen crypto mogul, gets 25 years in prison

Prosecutors said he had cost customers, investors and lenders over $10 billion by misappropriating billions of dollars to fuel his quest for influence and dominance in the new industry.