NYC-Bound Bus Breaks Down Twice, Passengers Stuck In Sweltering Virginia
RUTHER GLEN, Va. (CBSNewYork) -- Passengers on a bus from North Carolina to New York have been stranded on the side of the road in a Virginia town for more than 24 hours, CBS 2 learned Tuesday night.
At 10 p.m. Monday 53 passengers left Durham, N.C., en route to New York with an expected arrival time of 7 a.m. on Tuesday. However, hours into the trip their bus broke down and they have been stranded since.
"We had to tell the bus driver to pull over, the rear of the bus was shaking, moving from side to side," passenger Bashir Joseph told CBS 2's Tracee Carrasco.
Passengers slept on tables and chairs at a nearby rest stop, while others stayed on the hot bus without any air conditioning, water, or food.
"We can't get reimbursed," passenger Joel Fahie said. "Some people went to the hospital. I don't know where we're going to next."
The driver attempted to keep going, even without air-conditioning, but the bus broke down a second time. Passengers were overcome by the heat, and the driver needed oxygen and medical attention.
"Smoke filled the bus, this was after the second attempt," Joseph said.
On Tuesday afternoon sheriffs stepped in and arranged for a school bus to transport passengers to another bus stop where they were able to shower and eat.
Employees at ABC Tours in Chinatown told CBS 2 that they have been trying to fix the problem all day and have been communicating with authorities in Virginia to find another bus.
"We called so many companies to see if they have buses available, but no one has buses available because right now it's the summer time," ABC Tours spokesperson Cindy Lin said. "We weren't trying to leave them there, not taking responsibility; that's not the right thing to do."
Passengers told CBS 2 that they still have not heard from ABC Tours.
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