The recent horrific bus crash resulted in the death of 15 people with many others hospitalized. Officials are now looking for answers as to what caused the accident.
The discount tour bus was traveling from Connecticut's Mohegan Sun casino to Manhattan. The crash occurred on a Saturday morning in the Bronx, on the bus's return trip from a gambling excursion. The accident caused the bus to roll onto its side and skid into a pole. This resulted in the bus partially splitting open in the area where passengers were seated.
Potential Causes
The tour bus driver told investigators that the accident was caused by a truck which clipped his bus and led it to crash. Authorities, however, have been unable to find any evidence on the truck connecting it to the accident. Witnesses indicated that the bus was traveling at an extremely high speed before the crash. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will be conducting another interview with the bus driver.
The bus driver has an extensive record of both traffic and criminal offenses, including aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, manslaughter and grand larceny. Based on his convictions he served several years in prison. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo stated that an investigation would occur regarding how a man with a record of driving and criminal offenses was able to obtain a commercial driver's license.
Legislators are calling for the NTSB to review the rules in place for such tour buses. Rep. Nydia Velazquez explained, "The low-cost intercity bus travel industry along the Northeast corridor has expanded rapidly in recent years and it appears safety regulations haven't kept pace."
Currently, federal law essentially only requires tour bus drivers to hold commercial drivers' licenses. Medical documentation and drug tests are left to carriers to obtain and administer.
Driver fatigue may also be a contributing factor in the crash. Drivers of casino buses often drive long hours through the night with little time for rest. It is not known whether or how much the bus driver slept before beginning the return trip from the casino.
Drivers of passenger buses are allowed to spend 10 hours driving within a work day of 15 hours, according to federal guidelines. The hours, however, are only recorded manually in a written log, and therefore are easy to falsify. The operators of the tour, World Wide Travel, had previously been cited by federal regulators for multiple instances of driver fatigue.
Hopefully this horrific auto accident will lead to improved regulations for the tour bus industry and greater awareness of the dangers of speeding and fatigued driving.
If You Experience a Serious Motor Vehicle Accident
If you are injured in a serious bus, car or truck accident contact an experienced personal injury attorney. A lawyer can evaluate any potential claims, and advocate on your behalf to hold negligent parties responsible.
