TREMONTON, Utah — Several passengers on a bus that crashed near Tremonton early Monday morning are continuing to recover in the hospital tonight.
Jess Gomez with Intermountain Healthcare said 19 people were originally taken to Bear River Hospital, and many of those patients were treated for minor injuries.
Gomez said seven patients, whose conditions ranged from serious to critical, were transported to other hospitals, mainly to McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden.
FOX 13 News caught up with several other passengers at the Garland Armory, where an emergency shelter was set up for them following the crash.
John Loosbroock was onboard the bus heading home to Las Vegas at the time of the crash.
"I got people laying on top of me, shattered glass underneath me, I got a dislocated shoulder out of it," he said.
He got emotional when talking about his mother and how he had been unable to contact her since the crash.
"My mom doesn't know where I'm at. I want my mom to know where I'm at," Loosbrook said.
The crash, according to Utah Highway Patrol, took place around 4:30 a.m. on Monday along I-84, seven miles west of Tremonton.
UHP said the driver of that Salt Lake Express bus was reportedly changing lanes when they lost control because of the slick roadway.
"We did a full 360 and then the bus went over," said Bryce Provance, who was injured during the crash. "I was on the side of the bus that turned up like that, so I fell down and smashed my head."
After the crash, passenger Anthony Robinson said he jumped into action to help others who were hurt.
"Just try to help as many people, you know, it was a dog on there... and I guess that was somebody's emotional support pet," Robinson said, "So you know, that also meant a lot."
That dog, named Copper, belongs to Keonnie Hoeting.
Hoeting, according to her sister Katasha Crotto, was traveling on the bus from Boise, Idaho, back home to Iowa after helping care for their father, who died late last month.
"She is really sore. She can't really move," Crotto said. "Her x-rays came back; [she's] OK, just severe bruising and swelling thankfully."
Crotto said Copper wasn't injured in the crash.
She shared a screenshot from her sister's Life 360 app, which showed the bus at one point was going 73 miles per hour.
"It will pinpoint your location and it also keeps track of your speeds and it detects crashes," said Crotto.
UHP Sgt. Cameron Roden said they are considering speed as a factor in this crash, and they will be conducting a full investigation into the incident.
Many of the passengers who were able to walk away from the crash on Monday told FOX 13 News that the bus shouldn't have been on the road in such snowy conditions.
"I just think it was a little too fast," Provance said. "Don't get in the fast lane in the snow, you know what I mean?"
"He shouldn't have been driving, not in this weather," Loosbroock added.
UHP said the bus was not equipped with seatbelts for the passengers on board. The bus driver was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash and wasn't hurt in the incident.
FOX 13 News made multiple attempts to talk with Salt Lake Express on Monday about the crash, including to ask about their rules when it comes to driving in the snow and when they decide to either cancel or stop a trip. We have not heard back at this time.
