A bus filled with Masters patrons heading to the tournament for the opening round crashed while driving on Interstate 20 on Thursday morning.
At least 16 people were injured when the vehicle flipped. Georgia State officials said the driver, Steven F. Hoppenbrouwer, 61, drove off the side of the road and tried to overcorrect, causing the accident. The incident occurred near mile marker 185, roughly 16 kilometres outside of Augusta.
An overturned tour bus on I-20 is causing slowdowns near mile marker 186 (between Appling and Grovetown exits) down to one lane east and west bound. Injuries were reported. @WRDW_WAGT pic.twitter.com/sz494tVVAO
— Jason Raven (@JasonRaven_) April 5, 2018
Police told news outlets that Hoppenbrouwer was driving under the influence. He was also charged with failure to maintain lane.
The victims are currently at local hospitals being treated. Officials with Augusta University Medical Center told WRDW that they have received seven patients from the crash so far, five of which are in critical condition. Another news station, 11 Alive, is reporting that Doctors Hospital has received nine patients, their conditions varying from critical to good.
