Miley Cyrus' tour bus crashes, leaves driver dead

By ROWENA JOY A. SANCHEZ
November 24, 2009, 1:30pm

Miley Cyrus can’t “Party in the U.S.A.” with this news.

One of her four tour buses suffered a fatal overturn on Nov. 20 at the Interstate 85 highway near Dinwiddie, Virginia. The driver, 53 year-old Bill Douglas, was killed in the incident.

Reports said that the bus---carrying the Teen Queen’s lighting crew---was traveling southbound of the highway when it ran off the road, hit an embankment and overturned to rest on the bus’ right side.

Authorities are still looking at two possible causes for the accident: Douglas’ cardiac arrest which may have occurred before the accident, or the wet road from an overnight rainfall.

A recorded emergency call said: "RV flipped over. The man just went into cardiac arrest. We are going to need some help soon...He's moving... He's turning purple."

Another member of the crew, 48 year-old Marty Zilio, was rushed to Southside Regional Medical Center in Petersburg after suffering minor injuries. He and eight other passengers narrowly escaped death by creeping through the broken front windshield.

The crash, which occurred at 8:15 a.m. Friday, did not carry the “Hannah Montana” star, who was then on the way to her Nashville home to take time off before her show on Nov. 22 at Greensboro, North Carolina.

The Cyrus family, through Miley’s official website, extended their condolences for “Uncle Bill.”

"We are deeply saddened by the loss of Bill 'Uncle Bill' Douglas. Members of our tour are like members of our family. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family in the midst of this tragedy. He will truly be missed," they posted.

Miley and the rest of her crew pushed through with the scheduled Greensboro concert.