Passengers from an ill-fated weekend bus trip to New York City that saw a Lévis teen die when the charter coach careened off the highway and rolled onto its side began arriving back in Quebec late Friday evening.
Around 40 of the 54 survivors returned via bus last night.
Others were driven back to Quebec by family and friends after they were discharged from hospitals located near the scene of the crash, which occurred close to North Hudson, New York.
14-year-old Chelssy Mercier died in the crash after she was ejected from the bus and wound up caught underneath the wreckage.
Mercier was travelling to New York City with her mother for the weekend.
Three other passengers remain in hospital with serious injuries, but all are expected to survive.
The bus had 55 passengers and one driver.
The bus is owned by Autobus Fleur de Lys and was chartered by the Jaimonvoyage tour company.
Police investigating
New York State Police are investigating the crash, which happened along a stretch of highway that they say is not especially dangerous.
However, a similar crash involving another Quebec charter bus occurred along the same stretch of highway in 2004.
Maj. Richard Smith of the New York State Police said the investigation is focusing on the coach's black box, which records the vehicle's speed and other data.
"We will be able to discern what may have been going on with the driver in terms of was he braking, was he using a turn signal, how fast was he going just prior to the collision," he told CBC News.
The driver, who was not named, had close to 30 years experience and was just coming off a seven day break.
He was a veteran of the route and "knew it by heart," said Josiane Grimard, a spokeswoman for Jaimonvoyage.