http://www.wave3.com/Global/story.asp?S=6703718
It was an MCI carrying a family from Alabama who had attended a family reunion in NY. Bus owned by C & R Tours in Birmingham, Ala. One dead. Up to 40 injured.
More details at http://www.wbko.com/home/headlines/8163047.html (http://www.wbko.com/home/headlines/8163047.html) (Includes some video of local newcast)
and http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/K/KY_I_65_BUS_CRASH_KYOL-?SITE=KYBOW&SECTION=STATE&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT (http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/K/KY_I_65_BUS_CRASH_KYOL-?SITE=KYBOW&SECTION=STATE&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT)
I found a picture
Nick-
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/06/25/bus.crash.ap/index.html
This is a terrible tragedy, and quite a reality check especially for those in the indusrtry! It really blows my mind that this happened so close to home. Just yesterday mom was complaining about nothing going right when one of our buses broke down, and I told her that's part of being in business and atleast it wasn't upside down in a ditch somewhere! Then this happens so soon after that so close to home. Sorta freaky, but hopefully it was just a confirmation of what I said, and not a sigm of things getting worse yet! This is one of my biggest fears everytime one of ours hits the trail. FWIW! BK ;D
I guess we assume Driver fell asleep.. ?
For lack of a Coffee break... ???
Geeeeez, what ashame.... :-\
According to a report I read, the driver apparently fell asleep. There were two drivers on the bus.
Sad, very sad.
http://news.aol.com/topnews/articles/_a/kentucky-bus-crash-kills-one-injures-66/20070625083709990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001
Paul
Looks like a good reminder of the importance of emergency escape options.
And maybe a little reminder as well not to push yourself too far.
Devin
Very tragic accident. :'(
Based on the wreck pics, I'm amazed that the driver was not instantly killed since there appears to be very little left of the front end.
Darrin
I know some of the guys with this company. They have some 40" MC9s This looks like a newer bus maybe 45"
Said 66 injured , must have been a packed load. Sorry to see this.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-06-25-bus-crash_N.htm
The picture with this story makes it clear the stiff undercarriage took the brunt of the collision hitting the berm, with the roof grazing the bridge pillar rather than running head-on into it. Even so, it's pretty amazing the driver is alive. As only person in the bus required to wear a seatbelt, it likely kept him from being ejected out the front.
Sad story. A lot of these recent bus crashes have happened in the middle of the night/ wee morning hours. I suspect the driver is often the only one awake at the time of the crash... until they too doze off. Fatigue, fighting the body's own circadian rhythms, and lack of visibility should point to just how much more dangerous it is to "drive through the night"... even on a "legal" rotating shift. In addition, even an otherwise fully-alert driver might have to contend with other vehicles with potential sleep-deprived and/or alcohol/drug-impaired drivers.
Food for thought...
Brian B.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19585049/
Looks like the driver did fall asleep.
Over crowded bus & improper registration . . . . Makes one wonder what the passangers were thinking when they got on a over crowded bus. Doesn't appear to me they were overly concerned with their own safety.
Does anyone take responsibility for their own actions anymore? Or is everyone more concerned with how much $$$ it costs - at the expense of everything else?
I sincerely doubt that the riders and even the driver possibly do not know what an over crowded bus really is. I recall while in the service that as long as you were behind the white line, everything was OK. Not even any standing room many times.
Richard
Quote from: kyle4501 on July 03, 2007, 12:02:01 PM
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19585049/
Looks like the driver did fall asleep.
Over crowded bus & improper registration . . . . Makes one wonder what the passangers were thinking when they got on a over crowded bus. Doesn't appear to me they were overly concerned with their own safety.
Does anyone take responsibility for their own actions anymore? Or is everyone more concerned with how much $$$ it costs - at the expense of everything else?
Hey Richard,
Standing in a crowded transit bus (or in military transport) is one thing, but expecting (paying?) passangers to stand for the trip from NY to Alabama? Me thinks there is much more going on here & it ain't just the bus operator.
I think you meant to link this instead: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19538301/ (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19538301/). The one you gave is about a bus fire.
Sorry. I was talking about paying Greyhound passengers traveling from base to home or home to base and also civilians traveling cross country. I know things have changed much from the past operation, but I really feel it is the bus drivers responsibility to monitor over crowding conditions, not the passengers. And it seems difficult to understand that overcrowding would have anything to do with the crash. Is there any requirement currently for bus passengers to have and utilize seat belts on commercial vehicles. I know it is not required on school buses.
Richard
Quote from: kyle4501 on July 03, 2007, 12:52:00 PM
Hey Richard,
Standing in a crowded transit bus (or in military transport) is one thing, but expecting (paying?) passangers to stand for the trip from NY to Alabama? Me thinks there is much more going on here & it ain't just the bus operator.
First and foremost.
Every commercial driver learns that the first rule when becoming a "professional" driver is: THE DRIVER IS RESPONSIBLE!
If he runs out of fuel, he's responsible.
If a wheel breaks at the lug nuts, flys off and kills a car load of teenagers, he is resposible.
If he runs into a bridge abutment, the driver is responsible.
It doesn't matter what goes wrong, ultimately, the driver is responsible.
The driver is the one who does the walk around and checks everything on his vehicle before and after every days work.
The driver is the one who knows he is so sleepy he can't drive anymore but does it anyway.
The driver is the one who is mashing the pedal to make that last 100 miles home.
The driver is the one who decides to follow too close and rearends someone.
You cannot blame it on anyone else. When the company turns the vehicle over to him, he is complete and total control of that vehicle.
Sure, if he decides to stop and sleep instead of getting the load to it's destination at 04:00 he'll get fired.
He'll also get fired if he marks a vehicle out of service on his log book.
He'll also get fired for exceeding the posted speed limit by more than 15 mph if he's caught.
I hate to say it, but anytime anyone gets behind the wheel, they are responsible. It doesn't matter if the tire monkey torqued the lugnuts on with a 1" lugwrench until the wheel cracked.... it's the drivers job to check behind the service person.
Always.
Dallas
Thanks NUSA, that is the one I thought I was posting.
Hell yes Dallas, I agree. BUT, we as passangers need to take responsibility for our own sake if & when those who are supposed to fail to do so. Just because the driver is at fault does not mean he is solely responsible & all the passangers are faultless . . . Just my opinion
I'm with Dallas, when I was driving professionally, the driver was responsible for everything, and at fault if anything went wrong. That's why we had to walk around the vehicule and drive defensively.