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Driver dies in Miley Cyrus tour bus crash

RNPS IMAGES OF THE YEAR 2009 Reuters – RNPS YEAR 2009 - Miley Cyrus is positioned by her publicist at the 81st Academy Awards in Hollywood, …

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The driver of a tour bus for Miley Cyrus died on Friday when the vehicle crashed in Virginia, but the teen singer was not on-board, police said.

The bus ran off the side of the road and overturned on its side, and the 53 year-old driver, William G. Douglas of Austin, Texas, died at the scene, Virginia State Police said.

After the crash, nine passengers who were on-board walked out through the vehicle's front windshield, police said.

Cyrus, who is on a concert tour for which the bus was hired, was not in the vehicle when it crashed.

The Cyrus family said in a statement, "We are deeply saddened by the loss of Bill 'Uncle Bill' Douglas. ... Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family in the midst of this tragedy. He will truly be missed."

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis: Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)