A deadly Greyhound bus crash near Jackson Monday night killed two people and sent more than 30 to the hospital, including Melissa Shaffer.
Click here for more information about the crash and the investigation underway.
Shaffer said she is suffering both physical injuries and emotional trauma as a result of the crash.
“I was seeing people being thrown around. I was being thrown around. And I thought, you know, this is it. I’m going to die and I’m not going to see my grandchildren. I’m not going to see my husband, my family, my friends. It’s over. I’m done,” said Melissa Shaffer, a survivor of the Greyhound bus crash near Jackson on Monday.
While she’s back home now, Shaffer said her injuries came home with her, too. “I’ve got back problems now, my back is — I can’t hardly walk now because of my back, my wrist here is inflamed,” Shaffer said.
Beyond the physical pain, Shaffer said she hasn’t emotionally recovered from the traumatic experience. “I am not right, I cry constantly because I can’t get the images of everything out of my head,” Shaffer said.
Shaffer expressed frustration with Greyhound’s lack of communication in the days following the crash.
“They never contacted me or anything to say, ‘Hey, are you okay? We’ve got you another bus to Nashville. We’re working on getting your luggage, none of that. In fact, it’s been radio silence from Greyhound, except for an advertisement I got this morning in my email,” Shaffer said.
According to Shaffer, no one from Greyhound ensured she made it home safely. Her husband drove to Jackson to pick her up. “It was raining. I was stressed out, I was on pure adrenaline, scared I might also get in a wreck trying to get there,” said James Shaffer, Melissa’s husband.
The couple is now hoping to get answers from Greyhound or at least some acknowledgment of what they’ve been through.
“I think it’s more upsetting that they haven’t reached out. Even an email or something that feels like they’re concerned would be great, but we haven’t gotten that,” James Shaffer said.
We reached out to Greyhound for comment on this story and received the following response:
Following the accident on May 26 involving one of our Nashville-bound buses, our team continues to actively investigate the circumstances and offer support to everyone affected—including our passengers, the driver, and law enforcement. That same evening, we attempted to contact every passenger who was on board using the information provided at the time of ticket purchase. Our thoughts remain with all those impacted by this tragic event, and we are committed to assisting affected passengers through the appropriate channels to address any concerns or questions. As the investigation is ongoing, we are not able to share additional details at this time.
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Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at robb.coles@newschannel5.com.
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