'Miracle' Baby and Mom Survive Horrific Bus Crash Unharmed: 'I Was in Between 2 Dead Bodies,' Says Ana Perez (VIDEO)
A "miracle" baby and her mother managed to survive a devastating bus crash in California early Wednesday morning, walking away virtually unharmed. Ana Perez was breastfeeding her 12-day-old infant Daniela when the accident occurred, killing four of the 32 people aboard and critically injuring several others.
The miracle baby was being breastfed by her young mother while traveling from El Paso, Texas to Los Angeles, California on the El Paso-Los Angeles Limousine bus line when the accident occurred. A big rig heading east jackknifed on the other side of the desert highway, scattering large steel pipes all over. The bus driver swerved to avoid the pipes but failed, and the bus flipped over, rolling down a shallow embankment.
"It was really, really bad. It was horrible. I didn't let her go," Perez, who had wrapped her newborn daughter in only some blankets, told KTSM news. "The driver was trying to avoid it, but it was too late."
"When I got up, I was in between two dead bodies. It was horrible," she added, saying that she could hear the screams of other injured passengers emergency workers pulled her from the wreckage.
Miraculously, Daniela was completely unharmed. Perez had only a few bruises from the crash.
"It was a miracle," she said.
Four of the 31 passengers were pronounced dead at the scene; four other passengers were airlifted to Palms Springs Desert Regional Hospital, Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, California and La Paz Regional Hospital in Parker, Arizona; 17 passengers with minor injuries were transported to Palo Verde Hospital in Blythe, California; four other passengers were uninjured and checked out by a Red Cross center set up close to the accident, according to KTSM news.
A preliminary investigation has not found any issues with the bus that could have caused the accident.
"As far as I understand, there's no allegations to any mechanical issue, there's no allegation to any driver's issues," Jerry Rosenbaum, President of the bus company, explained.