Trucker to stand trial in CA bus crash that killed 13

INDIO, Calif. – A trucker will stand trial for a tour bus crash on a Southern California freeway that killed 13 people.

A judge on Wednesday ordered Bruce Guilford to face trial on 42 charges of reckless driving and vehicular manslaughter. He has pleaded not guilty.

Authorities say the 51-year-old Covington, Georgia man fell asleep after utility work briefly halted traffic on Interstate 10 near Palm Springs in 2016.

Prosecutors say Guilford’s truck didn’t move when traffic began flowing again.

A tour bus carrying gamblers back from a casino slammed into the rear of his truck, killing the bus driver and a dozen passengers. Twenty-nine people were injured.

A California Highway Patrol officer said Guilford illegally drove for too many hours. Authorities also said the bus driver was sleep-deprived.