California saw one of its most deadly crashes in years. The crash occurred around 5:17am on Sunday near Palm Springs. A bus coming back from Red Earth Casino in Salton Sea Beach, crashed into a tractor trailer on west bound interstate 10 near Palm Springs.
At the scene of the crash, dozens of firefighters rushed to try to get to the victims. Chainsaws were used to break inside the vehicle despite the fact that there was barely any room for a person to fit through. Victims of the crash include 13 adults who were pronounced dead at the scene and 31 adults who were injured. One of the deceased victims still remains unidentified. In total there were 43 passengers on the bus. The bus driver was also killed and the truck driver survived the crash with minor injuries. It was stated that the injuries range from major to minor.
It is said that the owner and operator of the bus has been allegedly sued twice before due to negligence after collisions with vehicles that left 3 dead.
The bus’s speed was said to be faster than the trucks, which cause it to lodge 15 feet into the trailer trucks rear end. It has been stated that maintenance crew slowed traffic before the crash occurred. Cause of the crash still remains unknown; it still has not been stated if drugs, alcohol, or fatigue play a role in the cause of the crash.
The crash will be investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board. Dozens of specialists will conduct the investigation; amongst these specialists will be a truck or bus mechanical engineer, highway specialist, and the board’s human performance, survival and weather specialists. It may take up to 18 months before a report is sent up to the board about the crash.
Why call it a semi crash ?
It was a Bus Crash not a truck driver error
“the owner and operator of the bus has been allegedly sued twice before due to negligence after collisions with vehicles that left 3 dead”, are the previous accidents not rehearsals for a serial killer to perfect his mundane skill? Jokes apart, here we are talking about one bus, one driver and 16 people dead already. Sounds like mission accomplished. Unfortunately, he didn’t live long enough to defend or confess his actions.
What a tragedy! Speed was definitely a factor but why/what caused the bus driver to be going at so fast? Guess we will have to wait for the results of the investigation but one thing is for sure: the bus driver should not have been on the road! He was being sued for two previous accidents, death resulting. Had he been pulled off the road, both he and any of his passengers would still be alive.
While it is good there is a thorough investigation, why take 18 months? More importantly, how is it that something as lethal a weapon as a bus or any large vehicle, can have drivers with such poor training, carelessness and lack of oversight?
“It may take up to 18 months before a report is sent up to the board about the crash.” Oh that’s an super long time…this is getting ridiculous. Will they ever increase speed?