LAFAYETTE, La. — A charter bus is heavily damaged, but thankfully no riders are injured after a tire blowout on I-10 Monday evening.
According to Lafayette Fire Department, firefighters responded to the scene on the interstate near University Ave around 6:42 p.m. That's when they say they saw the bus exterior covered in flames, quickly spreading to the passenger area, but all the passengers were already outside in a safe area.
Alton Trahan, spokesperson and investigator for LFD, says the bus driver pulled to the roadside after reporting the tire blowout. That's when the driver reports noticing the wheel well smoking, leading to the tire catching fire and his evacuation of the bus.
Trahan tells us Lafayette police officers were also on scene, not only helping with traffic control, but with taking the passengers to the TA Travel Center on University Ave. so another bus could pick them up.
Further investigation shows the fire originated in the wheel well where the driver saw the smoke and stemmed from friction after the blowout.
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