27 hurt in Grand Teton bus crash; 8 still recovering

Eight people are recovering in local hospitals after a commercial tour bus flipped onto its side in Grand Teton National Park on Thursday, injuring 27 people.

Park spokesperson Jackie Skaggs said the bus was traveling on North Highway 89 about four miles north of Colter Bay when its front tire left the road. The driver overcorrected, and the bus tipped onto its side and slid a short way down the highway.

The bus was traveling through Grand Teton National Park and bound for West Yellowstone, Montana, at the time of the crash. The road is the only highway connecting Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks.

The road was closed for about five hours while the crash was investigated and wreckage removed. It reopened around 9:15 p.m. Thursday.

In addition to the driver, there were 26 passengers on board. They were part of a Chinese tour group. All were evaluated at St. John’s Medical Center in Jackson. Two patients were flown to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center, where they were reported in fair condition Friday morning. Six passengers stayed at St. John’s overnight.

Although the bus did not completely roll over, the impact of the crash caused some level of injury to all 27 people in the bus, making this a mass casualty incident, the park said.

The Jackson business community helped find overnight lodging for the remaining passengers in Jackson on Thursday night.