26 OC church youth members hospitalized after bus overturns on IE highway

26 injured in church bus rollover crash

More than two dozen people were hospitalized following a rollover crash on a highway near Running Springs.

SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, Calif. - More than two dozen Orange County church youth members were hospitalized after their bus overturned on Highway 330 in Running Springs. 

What we know:

The crash happened Sunday, Nov. 9 just before 9 p.m. on the highway near mile marker 38 between Highland and Running Springs, according to the San Bernardino County Fire Department. 

According to the Catholic Diocese of Orange, the 36 people aboard the bus included youth, family, and staff from Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Santa Ana.

The bus, which caught on fire briefly, was returning to Santa Ana from a three-day parish youth retreat at Camp Nawakwa in the San Bernardino Mountains, officials said. 

Video showed the charter bus turned on its side and firefighters and paramedics treating those injured in triage areas at the scene.

According to the fire department, most of the injuries were minor, but three people were seriously hurt. 

What they're saying:

"I just started screaming ‘no! no!’ because they're breaking and then right when he hit this turn right here you could tell he was about to flip so he jerked it into the wall, then trying to stop but it obviously didn't work out," a witness said. 

"We extend our deepest gratitude to the first-responder agencies for their prompt and professional response in safely evacuating passengers and ensuring they received proper medical attention," the Catholic Diocese of Orange said in a statement.

"We will provide further updates as information becomes available. Until then, our entire Diocese of Orange community will keep all those affected in prayer, and we thank all for their continued support."

What we don't know:

The cause of the crash is under investigation.