A limousine carrying nine women to a bachelorette party burst into flames on Saturday, May 4th. Five of the women died after they became trapped in the vehicle. The bride-to-be was among the victims. The other four women escaped the limo and were taken to local hospitals for smoke inhalation and burns and were listed in critical condition. The driver escaped unharmed. The incident occurred around 10 p.m. on one of the busiest bridges on San Francisco Bay, the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge.
The cause of the limousine fire is still under investigation. Witnesses have stated that smoke started bellowing from the rear of the vehicle before erupting in flames. About one-third of the back half of limo were decimated in the fire. The bumper and taillights were missing and the stretch limousine was resting on its rims. The rest of the vehicle did not appear to sustain significant damage.
The limousine was operated by Limo Stop, who has not commented on the incident. The driver of the limo was identified as Orville Brown of San Jose. Authorities are continuing to investigate the cause of this tragedy. The San Mateo Coroners office is conducting autopsies on the victims.
