Bus crash on I-15 near Las Vegas

[HighTechRedneck]

http://www.fox5vegas.com/news/15078650/detail.html

Another bad one.  At least no dead yet.  4 airlifted to hospital in critical condition. 10 others injured and taken by ambulance to the hospital.

Officers said the bus drifted off the right side of the road for an unknown reason. It then broke through a metal retainer and onto the outside of a cement median wall, police said. It continued driving against the wall until the wall's end where -- police said -- it fell on its side and burst into flames.

[HighTechRedneck]

Update:  It was a bus transporting employees for several casinoes.  25 injured, 3 critically.  The driver had second degree burns on his legs.  The current news reports that the fuel tank was damaged in the crash but fortunately everyone got out before the fuel ignited.

[RJ]

Video has reporter and news anchors saying "gas tank". . .

Stills show a three-axle coach, approximately 40' long.  What are the chances it's really powered by gasoline?

'Nuff said about that.

Here's hoping all the injured recover, and thank goodness, at least at this point, that there were no fatalities.

FWIW. . .

[TomC]

I get the feeling it was a shuttle bus based on a Ford Econoline front with a tag axle in back.  The chance that a Diesel powered bus would have burst into flames would have been low.  By the time this bus came to a stop it was already on fire.  Good Luck, TomC

[RJ]

TomC -

Look at the stills again, it's definitely a pusher powertrain - you can see the oil pan and driveline.

FWIW. . .

[buddydawg]

It seems to me that there have been a bunch of bus wrecks lately.  It could be that I am more in tune to them now.  Also, most of the wrecks tend to be driver error.  I hope everyone in this wreck comes out ok.

[TrevorH]

It does seem like there have been many accidents in the last month or so.  Not a good thing to see. I could not imagine having to be involved with a situation like that with so many injured, scared people and all of the confusion and suffering.  I would be a very difficult thing to have to deal with after the fact.  My thoughts go out to them

[akbusguy2000]

Here's a different video.  They said it had 40 passengers, and to me it looks more llike a 40' coach - probably MCI.

http://www.ktnv.com/


tg

[TomC]

It does look like a 40ft MCI recent bus.  Perhaps lost a power steering hose and power steering where the hydraulic fluid got on the hot engine-hydraulic fluid is more flammable than Diesel fluid.  Maybe we'll find out-then again probably not.  Good Luck, TomC

[HighTechRedneck]

The way I understood it, after losing control, the bus slid along a cement wall for a great distance, then when the wall ended it went off the side.  Some where in the process the fuel tank was ruptured.  When the leaking fuel ignited, that was what burned the coach.  I can imagine a lot of very hot metal and sparks after skiding along a cement wall for a while.

It will be interesting to see what the investigation finds as the cause.

[BJ]

It's always possible the drive axle seal gave out, heating the area to red hot igniting the leaking oil causing a fire before it hit the wall. this would explain why the driver hit the wall because he was looking at the mirror and lost control. Maybe also this is what caused the bus to burn..seen it before. gentlemen check your seals for leaks on the drive axle..

[tekebird]

have not seen photos yet but reports I got said it was a Van Hool.

[tekebird]

just saw a good ariel photo.

looks like a new model Van Hool to me