St. Louis-bound Greyhound runs off I-55

A Greyhound bus traveling from Memphis to St. Louis was evacuated Saturday when it ran off the shoulder of Interstate 55 just south of the Center Junction exit.

None of the 49 passengers on board was injured, Cape Girardeau police Sgt. Carl Eakins said shortly after the bus was driven from the highway at about 1 p.m.

The accident took place about 11:30 a.m., when the bus engine died, Eakins said. The driver, who was not identified by police, pulled over to avoid being struck from the rear, he said.

When the right side wheels ran off the shoulder, the bus listed to the side, forcing the evacuation, he said.

Passengers were taken out of the bus through the rear emergency exit through a window on the left side, Eakins said. The bus doors were not used because of the danger of the bus tipping over on the steep slope, he said.

The incident was the second time on the trip that the bus engine failed, Eakins said.

The passengers were taken to the Osage Community Center, 1625 N. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau.

Medical personnel from the Cape Girardeau Fire Department were dispatched to the community center after one passenger asked for a blood pressure test.

Two tow trucks pulled the bus back onto the highway. The driver took the bus to the Osage Center.

Greyhound is sending another bus to pick up the passengers so they can continue their trip, Eakins said.

For updates, check back at www.semissourian.com or read Sunday's Southeast Missourian.