Driver killed when Miley Cyrus tour bus crashes in Va.

The driver of a Miley Cyrus tour bus was killed and a production crew member was slightly injured early yesterday when their bus veered off southbound Interstate 85 in Dinwiddie County and overturned.

Cyrus was not aboard the bus, which was one of four carrying the teen pop star's band and production crew to their next concert in Greensboro, N.C., said Sgt. Thomas Molnar, a spokesman for the Virginia State Police.

The driver, identified as William G. Douglas, 53, of Austin, Texas, died at the scene of the 8:15 a.m. wreck.

The bus was carrying nine members of the tour's lighting crew. Only one, identified as Marty Zilio, 48, of Canada, was injured; he was taken to Southside Regional Medical Center in Petersburg with a broken nose.

The bus had left early yesterday from Long Island, N.Y., where Cyrus performed Wednesday and Thursday nights. Cyrus had left New York at a different time and was traveling a different route, Molar said, quoting a Cyrus production representative.

State police have not determined the cause of the crash, but they said the driver didn't fall asleep and neither speed nor weather conditions were contributing causes. Among other things, police are investigating whether the driver lost control because of a medical condition. That determination will be made by the state medical examiner's office.

The wreck occurred just north of a now-closed Virginia rest stop near the Dinwiddie-Carson exit (state Route 703).

"It appears that the driver ran off the left side of the road and struck the embankment, which caused the bus to turn over on its right side," Molnar said.

Officials at the crash site said some of the passengers were asleep at the time of the crash. They were able to escape from the overturned bus by crawling through the front windshield, which was knocked out.

The Prevost luxury passenger coach, owned by Roberts Brothers Coach Co., was towed away about 12:20 p.m. to the parking lot of a restaurant at the next exit, where the uninjured passengers were taken earlier. Two of the other buses from the Cyrus caravan also stopped there.

Crew members could be seen unloading equipment and personal belongings from the damaged bus about 12:30. The front and rear windows on the right side of the bus were broken out, apparently from the impact, but no other significant damage was visible.

The wreck snarled traffic for several hours, forcing motorists to form a single line of traffic along the right shoulder of the interstate. The two southbound lanes were blocked by police, fire and rescue vehicles.

All lanes of the interstate reopened about 1 p.m.

In a statement posted on Miley Cyrus.com, the Cyrus family said they were "deeply saddened" by the loss of "Uncle Bill."

"Members of our tour are like members of our family," the statement said. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family in the midst of this tragedy. He will truly be missed."

Cyrus' "Party in the USA" is currently ranked No. 8 on Billboard's Hot 100.

Contact Mark Bowes at (804) 649-6450 or .