Dozens Hurt as Bus Flips During Snowstorm

More than two dozen Washington area students were injured yesterday when their bus flipped on a snowy Quebec road as they headed home from a holiday-weekend ski trip, authorities said.

According to a student on the bus, more than 40 students in two chartered buses, many of them from Washington-Lee High School in Arlington County, were returning from the Quebec City area during a snowstorm when the accident occurred near Drummondville, about 90 minutes northeast of Montreal.

The ski trip was sponsored by Atlantic Sun Tours, a company based in Fairfax County. The firm's Web site says it specializes in guided trips for ages 14 to 23.

The student said the group was traveling in heavy snow about 2:30 p.m. when she looked up and saw that their bus had veered close to the other bus. The driver lost control of the vehicle, which then skidded and flipped, the student said.

Nagui Habashi, director general of St. Croix Hospital in Drummondville, said doctors there treated 29 students for injuries including broken collarbones, strained backs and minor cuts and bruises. Nine were being kept overnight.

The tour guide on the scene, Danny O'Neill, recorded a message on his cellphone that confirmed there was an accident and added that there were "a few minor injuries. . . . We're dealing with EMS personnel now." O'Neill did not respond to messages requesting further comment.

A man who identified himself as a chaperone for the group said the tour company would not comment further.