A cross-country trucker has been arrested on manslaughter charges after authorities say he fell asleep at the wheel, causing a tour bus crash that killed 13 people and injured 31 others near Palm Springs one year ago.

Bruce Guilford, 51, of Covington, Georgia, stopped in the far-right, westbound lane of Interstate 10--and then dozed off--after a California Highway Patrol officer had halted traffic, according to court documents filed in Riverside County on Wednesday.

While Guilford was sleeping, traffic began moving again, but his vehicle continued to block the lane, according to the court filing. About one minute later, authorities said the tour bus, which was returning to Los Angeles from the Red Earth Casino near Salton City on October 23, 2016, hit the rear of Guilford's trailer at a speed of 76 miles per hour.

Authorities stated, however, that Guilford is "not the party determined to be most at fault" for the collision, suggesting that investigators believe the bus driver, who died in the crash, was mostly to blame.

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Guilford, who is currently living in Georgia, continued to work as a truck driver until his arrest on Thursday, court documents state. He has been charged with 13 counts of felony vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, 11 counts of felony reckless driving with injury and 18 counts of misdemeanor reckless driving with injury.

In the days and weeks, before the fatal accident, Guilford repeatedly violated federal regulations for truck drivers and falsified his drivers log, investigators allege. Guilford completed one trip to California and back on Oct. 19, a few days before the crash, then began another trip only 24 hours later, violating a 34-hour mandatory rest period.

Guilford then hauled across the country, sleeping far less than required.

"In the 24 hours preceding the collision, Mr. Guilford had only 7 hours of sleep opportunity, but it is unlikely that he actually slept during those opportunities," states an arrest declaration filed by Scott Parent, a CHP officer. "A reasonable person would have known that regularly violating maximum driving time regulations and becoming sleep deprived was risky and that a collision probable."

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The National Transportation Safety Board oversaw the investigation that's expected to come to a head on Oct. 31, spokesman Eric Weiss said. During a board meeting, NTSB staff will discuss their findings and make recommendations for long-term safety measures.

"It definitely will get into details," Weiss said. "The investigation was wide ranging and in depth."

Similar meetings usually last several hours and they're occasionally attended by crash victims or their families. Weiss said he didn't know if anyone from the bus crash would be in attendance Oct. 31, but discussions may be beneficial to travelers across the country.

"It could help prevent accidents like this from happening in the future," Weiss said.

In the past year, at least 10 lawsuits have been filed by surviving victims or family members of the deceased and they're in the process of being consolidated, according to the law firm representing one of the survivors, Gloria Campos of Los Angeles.

The collision woke her up and she suddenly found herself across the aisle, attorney Marilyn Nelson said. Campos had injuries to multiple parts of her body and suffered dizziness following the collision and she still has limited range of motion in her neck.

"It was a very traumatic event," Nelson said.

Firefighters swarmed the scene and spent several hours removing victims from the wreckage that sat in the middle of an empty westbound freeway. One by one, bodies were laid on the ground and covered in tarps and blankets.

A tow truck was used to lift the big rig and provide easier access to the bus. Hours passed before the vehicles were separated and removed from the scene.

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A preliminary NTSB report showed the big rig and other traffic moved slowly on I-10 because of utility work, which involved Southern California Edison crews moving electrical wires that crossed the road from a wooden pole structure to a steel pole.

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Families of the victims have named USA Holiday, Caltrans, Southern California Edison, Riverside County, Palm Springs and Desert Hot Springs and the bus' manufacturer in their civil suits.

Their complaints mostly blame the defendants for not providing adequate lighting or signage for the roadwork. The accusations are all denied, according to court records.