New developments in New York City bus accident that left 15 dead
On the one-year anniversary of the New York City bus crash that left 15 people dead and injured 18 others, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced that it will meet on June 5 to determine the probable cause of the crash. Although the NTSB investigation into the bus accident is still in its final stages, early speculation about alcohol or drug use by the bus driver as a possible cause for the tragedy appears to have been without merit.
In addition to the driver’s negative toxicology test results for drugs and alcohol, NTSB investigators have also found no mechanical problems that would have prevented the driver from safely operating the tour bus prior to or during the crash sequence. The list of potential causes board members will be evaluating at the June 5 meeting includes driver error, highway surface or design defects, non-mechanical vehicle factors and motor carrier oversight failures.
The board is also expected to decide whether or not safety regulations need to be changed in light of evidence concerning the driver, a man whom many feel never should been hired as a commercial driver given his background.
As we discussed in a previous post last September, the man who was driving the World Wide Travel bus at the time of the accident had three driving suspensions, as well as a criminal record that included manslaughter and larceny. Unfortunately, a routine check by New York State Department of Motor Vehicles failed to register those records for reasons that have yet to be explained.
After the NTSB issues an official determination for the cause of this bus accident, the likely course of lawsuits being pursued by or on behalf of those injured or killed should become clearer.
Source: EmpireStateNews.net, “One-year anniversary of I-95 bus disaster; NTSB announces meeting to determine cause,” March 12, 2012
