UPDATED: Miley Cyrus’ Family ‘Deeply Saddened’ By Fatal Tour Bus Crash; Driver May Have Suffered ‘Cardiac Arrest’
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The scene from the Miley Cyrus tour bus crash in Dinwiddie, Virginia on November 20, 2009
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The scene from the Miley Cyrus tour bus crash in Dinwiddie, Virginia on November 20, 2009
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FIRST PUBLISHED: November 20, 2009 10:51 AM EST
LAST UPDATED: November 20, 2009 7:57 PM EST
DINWIDDIE, Va. --
Miley Cyrus and her family have spoken out following a bus crash, which claimed the life of one of the star’s tour bus drivers.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of Bill ‘Uncle Bill’ Douglas. Members of our tour are like members of our family. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family in the midst of this tragedy. He will truly be missed,” the Cyrus family said in a statement to Access Hollywood.
On Friday morning, tragedy struck Miley’s tour as one of its buses overturned near Dinwiddie, Va., Virginia State Police said in a statement released to Access Hollywood.
The singer was not on board the bus at the time of crash, which occurred at 8:20 AM on Friday.
The singer’s bus overturned on Interstate 85 killing the driver and injuring one.
According to Richmond’s NBC12, there were 15 people on board the bus at the time of the accident.
According to authorities, “the bus was traveling in the southbound lanes of I-85 when it ran off the left side of the road and overturned. The bus came to rest on its right side. Those on the bus were able to exit the vehicle through the front windshield.”
The driver of the bus, William G. Douglas, 53, of Austin, Texas, was trapped inside the bus and died at the scene.
On Friday afternoon, an emergency dispatch call was released suggesting the man may have suffered a heart attack.
“RV flipped over. The man just went into cardiac arrest,” the caller said. “We are going to need some help soon… He’s moving… He’s turning purple.”
Marty Zilio, 48, of Canada, was injured in the crash. Zilio was transported by ambulance to Southside Regional Medical Center in Petersburg for treatment of minor injuries.
The cause of the crash is reportedly under investigation.
According to Miley’s Web site, she is scheduled to perform in Greensboro, North Carolina on Sunday.
Copyright 2009 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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