GW Parkway Reopens After Fatal Tour Bus Accident

MOUNT VERNON, VA -- The George Washington Memorial Parkway was reopened to traffic early Wednesday following a collision near Mount Vernon in which a passenger on a tour bus was killed, according to media report.

The collision occurred at about 5 p.m. Tuesday. The mid-sized shuttle bus was moving northbound on the parkway when it struck a southbound car head-on near Stratford Lane, about a mile northeast of Mount Vernon, according to media reports.

The driver and passengers on the bus were from China, radio station WTOP reported. Mount Vernon is the 18th century estate of George Washington, the nation's first president, and draws thousands of tourists each year from the U.S. and around the world.

The bus had 18 passengers plus the driver; one passenger died, according to the U.S. Park Police, which patrols the parkway. The car had two occupants.

In total, nineteen people were taken to area hospitals after the wreck, the Park Police said. The bus driver was not injured.

Two of those injured were listed in critical condition as of noon Wednesday, WTOP reported.

The parkway was closed in both directions for several hours, WTOP said. All lanes reopened at around 1:20 a.m. Wednesday.

The bus flipped over in the accident, and a Park Police spokeswoman said about a dozen passersby stopped and turned it upright, according to media reports. They also provided first aid to the accident victims.

The Park Police have not stated what caused the crash, but said they're investigating it.

They are asking anyone who witnessed the accident, or who may have helped lift the bus and attended to the injured, to call them at 202-610-7500.

The Park Police also asked family members of those possibly involved in the crash to go to the Mount Vernon District Police Station at 2511 Parkers Lane, off Richmond Highway (Route 1) in the Alexandria area of Fairfax County.