Bus Accidents
Tour bus hit man on downtown Fresno overpass
A man in his 50s was hit and killed Tuesday night at the Fresno Street overpass on Highway 99, and Fresno police are trying to determine whether he was killed by a tour bus.
A witness called police about 9:20 p.m. and told them that a tour bus ran over the man as it turned from the southbound Highway 99 off ramp onto eastbound Fresno Street, said Lt. Jose Garza.
The bus stopped at a travel agency near Fresno and E streets, where police were interviewing a dozen passengers to learn whether the bus hit the man, or ran over the victim of an earlier hit-and-run.
Garza said Fresno Street between E and C streets will be closed for several hours while detectives investigate the death.
Cause of the Fresno Crash
This remains an ongoing investigation by the Fresno Police Department. While this devastating Fresno County accident remains under investigation, the family members of the accident victim who was seriously injured would be well-advised to speak with an understanding and knowledgeable personal injury lawyer. An attorney such as Gary A. Kessler who has successfully handled personal injury accidents can advise the victim’s family of their legal rights to hold the driver accountable and best course of action should they wish to pursue a personal injury claim.
Right of Way
- Pedestrians always have the right of way. So, no matter where you encounter a pedestrian on the road, they always have the right of way. This includes crosswalks, round-a-bouts, at intersections not marked with signals and at street corners. Crosswalks are sometimes defined by white lines or flashing lights. Crosswalks are outlined in yellow near schools.
California Pedestrian Law
“Under California Vehicle Code Section 21950 (a) The driver of a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within any marked crosswalk or within any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection, except as otherwise provided in this chapter.
(b) This section does not relieve a pedestrian from the duty of using due care for his or her safety. No pedestrian may suddenly leave a curb or other place of safety and walk or run into the path of a vehicle that is so close as to constitute an immediate hazard. No pedestrian may unnecessarily stop or delay traffic while in a marked or unmarked crosswalk.
(c) The driver of a vehicle approaching a pedestrian within any marked or unmarked crosswalk shall exercise all due care and shall reduce the speed of the vehicle or take any other action relating to the operation of the vehicle as necessary to safeguard the safety of the pedestrian.
(d) Subdivision (b) does not relieve a driver of a vehicle from the duty of exercising due care for the safety of any pedestrian within any marked crosswalk or within any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection.”
Pedestrian Accident Statistics
Source: California Highway Patrol Statewide Integrated Traffic Report
Pedestrians need to be especially cautious on our roadways because they are more vulnerable to injury or death.
In California, there were 598 pedestrians killed and 12,418 injured in 2009, according to the CHP traffic report.
National data compiled by the National Highway Transportation and Safety Authority shows that pedestrian injuries and fatalities in the United States were up 4.9% in 2010 to 4,280 deaths and injuries were up 19% in 2010 to 70,000 people injured.
Bus Accidents and Personal Injury Liability
Demand accountability from those responsible for the bus accidents. A bus driver is a “common carrier” who owes you the “highest duty of care!” Many times the insurance companies for the bus companies (i.e., many times they are “self insured”) will play “hardball” if you try to settle the case yourself or you have employed a lawyer who does not have the litigation experience to handle such a complex bus case. We at the Law Offices of Gary A Kessler have over twenty-five years of litigation experience and know how to handle the insurance companies to your advantage. We are prepared to front all costs required for the necessary investigation and expert witnesses needed to prepare your case for trial as well as file all government claims. Unfortunately, the reality is that most bus accident victims usually sustain serious/catastrophic injuries which many times results in death. Over the past twenty years attorney Gary A Kessler has a proven successful track record demanding accountability from the responsible parties and obtaining outstanding results for his clients.
The laws regarding bus accident cases are complex and include many facets of the law. It is vital to surviving family members to seek the advice of an experienced bus accident lawyer such as Gary A Kessler at the Law Offices of Gary A Kessler to protect your rights and those of your loved ones.
The California bus accident attorney Gary A Kessler and the Law Offices of Gary A Kessler are compassionate and fully understand that you are attempting to cope with serious injuries associated with a bus accident. Such bus accidents can lead to catastrophic injuries or even death. The Law Offices of Gary A Kessler carefully selects its wrongful death and bus accident cases so that we may give you (the client) the substantial personal attention necessary to obtain a successful result for your bus accident case.
The Law Offices of Gary A Kessler is prepared to front all costs required for a thorough investigation and top expert witnesses to prepare for the trial of your case. As in all bus accident and serious personal injury cases, we advance all legal costs to prepare and present our client’s claim, and receive for our services only a percentage of what we recover for our attorney fees on their behalf. Upon settlement our costs shall be reimbursed to us from the gross recovery. If there is no recovery, no attorneys fees or costs are owed to our firm. Contact the Law Offices of Gary A Kessler today so we can preserve the evidence and demand compensation and accountability from the responsible party.
If you have been seriously injured or a family member sustained serious injuries involving a bus, you need to contact the Law Offices of Gary A Kessler or another experienced law firm immediately to protect your legal rights and preserve the evidence. Claims for damages against a public entity or governmental entity are complex and they have “strict time limitations”. So do not delay and contact the Law Offices of Gary A Kessler today!
Elderly bicyclist suffers major injuries in collision with school bus
An 82-year-old man suffered major injuries when he was struck by a school bus as he rode a bicycle through a major intersection bordering Cupertino and Saratoga Friday afternoon.
According to the California Highway Patrol, the man was hit at the intersection of Prospect Road and South De Anza Boulevard around 2:10 p.m.
Officer Chris Falkowski said the driver of the bus and students were not injured. He did not know how many students were on the bus — which was a compact shorter model — or what school it was affiliated with.
The man was transported to a hospital, but his condition was not known Friday evening.
What led to the crash is under investigation.
While the intersection is technically in San Jose, it is on the border of both Cupertino and Saratoga. The CHP is handling the investigation because state legislation mandates the organization take over incidents involving the crash of a school bus with at least one student on board.
Bicycle Accident Personal Injury Liability
The California Highway Patrol will surely look at speed and other factors to determine why this accident occurred, and whether the driver of the school bus could have done anything to avoid the collision. While this accident remains under investigation, the family of the victim who was fatally injured in this collision would be well-advised to speak with an experienced and knowledgeable bicycle accident lawyer. An attorney who understands the unique legal issues of school bus vs. bicycle accidents can review the CHP report and determine who is responsible for this collision. If the driver of the school bus is determined to be responsible, he may be liable for the elderly victim’s medical care expenses, pain and suffering, and other damages.
Bicycles have as much right to be on the road as other vehicles. When bus drivers violate the rights of a bicyclist, serious injuries and death can occur.
When you suffer serious/traumatic injuries or a loved one’s death, you are entitled to compensation (medical bills, funeral costs, lost wages, future wages and pain and suffering). The Law Offices of Gary A Kessler will aggressively represent you and fight for your rights against the insurance companies for the monetary damages you deserve.
The laws regarding pedestrian and bicycle accident cases are complex and include many facets of the law. It is vital to surviving family members to seek the advice of an experienced pedestrian and bicycle accident lawyer such as Gary A Kessler at the Law Offices of Gary A Kessler to protect your rights and those of your loved ones.
The Western United States pedestrian and bicycle accident attorney Gary A Kessler, and the Law Offices of Gary A Kessler are compassionate and fully understand that you are attempting to cope with extreme serious injuries associated with a pedestrian/bicycle accident. Such accidents can lead to catastrophic injuries or even death. The Law Offices of Gary A Kessler carefully selects its wrongful death and pedestrian/bicycle accident cases so that we may give you (the client) the substantial personal attention necessary to obtain a successful result for your case.
The Law Offices of Gary A Kessler, is prepared to front all costs required for a thorough investigation and top expert witnesses to prepare for trial of your case. As in all pedestrian and bicycle accidents and serious personal injury cases, we advance all legal costs to prepare and present our client’s claim, and receive for our services only a percentage of what we recover for our attorney fees on their behalf. Upon settlement our costs shall be reimbursed to us from the gross recovery. If there is no recovery, no attorneys fees or costs are owed to our firm. Contact the Law Offices of Gary A Kessler today.
Two people killed in collision with Sound Transit bus
The Washington State Patrol says a Sound Transit bus traveled about two miles after being involved in a crash on Interstate 405 in Kirkland that killed two elderly people.
Trooper Julie Judson said several passengers on the bus called 911 Monday night to report that it had been in at least one collision and wasn’t stopping.
The bus hit a 2010 Ford Escape at 128th Street, but the bus continued to 160th before stopping.
Robert Rotta, 76, was a passenger in the SUV who died at the scene. Elizabeth Rotta, 75, was pronounced dead at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle at 2:12 a.m. Tuesday.
The driver of the SUV, 51-year-old Kendall Rota, was also transported to Harborview. He is in satisfactory condition.
The bus driver told troopers his brakes weren’t working, and that’s why he didn’t stop sooner. Troopers were investigating the condition of the bus, along with the cause of the accident.
“A piece of this will obviously be the inspection of the bus, establishing if there were any defects or if that was something that the driver felt was happening that didn’t occur,” said Judson.
Washington State Patrol spent the night analyzing the crime scene. Today, a full inspection of the bus will take place as troopers try to identify the cause of the accident.
Bus Crashes near Yosemite: More than a Dozen Injured
As reported in the Los Angeles Times the charter tour bus that crashed Saturday evening outside Yosemite National Park, injuring more than a dozen people, was traveling at an unsafe speed when the driver lost control, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The bus was leaving Yosemite on California 41, or Wawona Road, about 6 p.m., when it veered off the roadway and angled up a dirt embankment, according to a CHP report. As the driver attempted to regain control of the vehicle, the bus crossed both lanes of traffic and struck a tree.
“If the tree wasn’t there to stop the bus, it would have continued down a ravine,” CHP Patrol Sgt. Edward Green told the Fresno Bee. The bus came to a stop with its two rear tires in the air.
Seventeen people were aboard the vehicle; 15 passengers and a tour guide sustained minor to moderate injuries in the crash, authorities said. The driver was uninjured.
The speed limit for the road is 55 mph, but several turns in the roadway require slowing, according to Scott Jobinger, a CHP spokesman. The accident occurred about a mile north of local road 630 and about 40 miles south of the park.
The bus was operated by Seven Happiness Tour and Charter Inc. in Burlingame, Calif., Jobinger said.
Adam Wang, a manager with Seven Happiness, said that the tour began Saturday morning in the Bay Area, and after a tour of the park, the bus was headed to Fresno for the night. It was to return to Burlingame on Sunday. Seven Happiness runs about two charters to Yosemite each week.
Intoxication was not a factor in the crash, the CHP said. A vehicle inspection will be performed on the bus to determine if there were any mechanical issue involved in the accident.
2 Dead, 40 Injured in Charter Bus Crash
Two people were killed and dozens rushed to hospitals after a charter bus bound for Oklahoma overturned on a Dallas-area turnpike Thursday morning.
Approximately 40 elderly people were trapped in the chartered bus, which was transporting the retired people to a gambling outing at the Choctaw casino in Oklahoma, according to USA Today.
“There was obviously a lot of pain,” a witness who helped pull victims from the wreckage told NBC DFW. “You had to start with whoever was on top, try to untangle them. People were just screaming.”
The bus belongs to the Cardinal Coach LInes of Mansfield, Texas.
The stretch of State Highway 161, also known as the President George Bush Turnpike, is located approximately 15 miles outside Dallas.
The driver is 65-year-old Loyd Rieve, the Texas Department of Public Safety said. He was investigated in a 1998 accident, but a grand jury declined to indict him on a charge of criminally negligent homicide.
The bus driver was injured in the Thursday accident, which occurred on the President George Bush Turnpike in Irving. It involved only one vehicle.
Department of Public Safety spokesman Sgt. Lonny Haschel told news agencies that the bus went off the right side of the road, hit a barrier, swerved left across lanes of traffic and struck a concrete median in a grassy area.
“It rode up on top of that concrete barrier, and then rolled on its right hand side, where it came to rest,” Haschel said.
Investigators are looking at several factors, including the vehicle and physical evidence on the road.
The National Transportation Safety Board said it has sent two investigators to the scene of the wreck.
New Mexico School Bus crash leaves driver dead and 9 injured
A bus driver died and nine students were injured Monday when a school bus went off a road and lodged in an embankment in northern New Mexico, authorities said Monday.
The driver died at the scene of the crash that investigators said might have been caused by a medical event.
Initial reports indicated the bus had rolled over, but authorities later said that was not true.
The bus carrying nine elementary, middle and high school students crashed off State Road 111 near La Madera in Carson National Forest, Rio Arriba County sheriff’s spokesman Jake Arnold said.
The mountainous, isolated area is popular for hunting, hiking and camping.
Two of the students who attend schools in the tiny, rural school district of Mesa Vista had broken bones.
“It is a tragedy and we are very saddened by events today,” district superintendent Tracie Phillips said. “We are providing counseling for all of students, including those involved in the crash.”
It was not clear if the driver, Pat Valdez, 69, might have had had a heart attack and later died from the crash, authorities said.
“We don’t know if the driver died from a medical event, died from the crash or died from a combination of both,” Arnold said.
The Office of the Medical Investigator will determine the cause of death, he said.
Eight students were taken to Espanola Hospital for treatment. Six were treated and released while two others were transported to University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque, Espanola Hospital spokeswoman Niki Allcorn said.
One student was airlifted to UNM hospital from the scene, Allcorn said.
An 8-year-old suffered a broken back and 16-year-old had a broken jaw, authorities said.
School officials say the students were headed to Ojo Caliente Elementary, Mesa Vista Middle and Mesa Vista High schools from Vallecitos in northern Rio Arriba County.
Images from a KOB-TV helicopter showed the bus lodged in an embankment. It appears to have gone off a cliff around 15 miles from the schools in Ojo Caliente, a resort town known for its hot springs. The roads are surrounded by mesas, sagebrush and rocky terrain.
An investigation of the crash was ongoing by the Rio Arriba Sheriff’s Office and New Mexico State Police. Authorities blocked off access to roads leading to the crash site.
The isolated Mesa Vista Consolidated School District is located in El Rito and is around 120 miles north of Albuquerque. It has an enrollment of close to 400 students.
Bus Accidents and Personal Injury Liability
Demand accountability from those responsible for the bus accidents. A bus driver is a “common carrier” who owes you the “highest duty of care!” Many times the insurance companies for the bus companies (i.e., many times they are “self insured”) will play “hardball” if you try to settle the case yourself or you have employed a lawyer who does not have the litigation experience to handle such a complex bus case. We at the Law Offices of Gary A Kessler have over twenty-five years of litigation experience and know how to handle the insurance companies to your advantage. We are prepared to front all costs required for the necessary investigation and expert witnesses needed to prepare your case for trial as well as file all government claims. Unfortunately, the reality is that most bus accident victims usually sustain serious/catastrophic injuries which many times results in death. Over the past twenty years attorney Gary A Kessler has a proven successful track record demanding accountability from the responsible parties and obtaining outstanding results for his clients.
The laws regarding bus accident cases are complex and include many facets of the law. It is vital to family members to seek the advice of an experienced bus accident lawyer such as Gary A Kessler at the Law Offices of Gary A Kessler to protect your rights and those of your loved ones.
The bus accident attorney Gary A Kessler and the Law Offices of Gary A Kessler are compassionate and fully understand that you are attempting to cope with serious injuries associated with a bus accident. Such bus accidents can lead to catastrophic injuries or even death. The Law Offices of Gary A Kessler carefully selects its wrongful death and bus accident cases so that we may give you (the client) the substantial personal attention necessary to obtain a successful result for your bus accident case.
The Law Offices of Gary A Kessler is prepared to front all costs required for a thorough investigation and top expert witnesses to prepare for the trial of your case. As in all bus accident and serious personal injury cases, we advance all legal costs to prepare and present our client’s claim, and receive for our services only a percentage of what we recover for our attorney fees on their behalf. Upon settlement our costs shall be reimbursed to us from the gross recovery. If there is no recovery, no attorneys fees or costs are owed to our firm. Contact the Law Offices of Gary A Kessler today so we can preserve the evidence and demand compensation and accountability from the responsible party.
If you have been seriously injured or a family member sustained fatal injuries involving a bus, you need to contact the Law Offices of Gary A Kessler or another experienced law firm immediately to protect your legal rights and preserve the evidence. Claims for damages against a public entity or governmental entity are complex and they have “strict time limitations”. So do not delay and contact the Law Offices of Gary A Kessler today!
Bicyclist Killed by School Bus
On March 25, 18-year-old Michael Valenzuela who had just finished his first day on a new job at a market and was on his way to play soccer was struck by a school bus and killed as he rode a bicycle in Palmdale .
The crash took place around 3:45 p.m. Monday as Valenzuela was riding his bicycle near 55th Street East and Avenue R.
Authorities said Valenzuela was trying to cross the street when he was hit by the bus, which was heading westbound on Avenue R, and dragged for several yards.
The bus was carrying 47 students home from Los Amigos Junior High. No one on board the bus was injured.
The California Highway Patrol says the 54-year-old female bus driver was traveling at about 50 miles per hour, below the speed limit.
She swerved left to avoid the collision, but ended up striking the bicycle in the left turn lane of eastbound Avenue R, according to the CHP report.
The victim was taken to Antelope Valley Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, the CHP reported.
Bicycles have as much right to be on the road as other vehicles. When automobile drivers violate the rights of a bicyclist, serious injuries and death can occur.
When you suffer serious/traumatic injuries or a loved one’s death, you are entitled to compensation (medical bills, funeral costs, lost wages, future wages and pain and suffering). The Law Offices of Gary A Kessler will aggressively represent you and fight for your rights against the insurance companies for the monetary damages you deserve.
The laws regarding pedestrian and bicycle accident cases are complex and include many facets of the law. It is vital to surviving family members to seek the advice of an experienced pedestrian and bicycle accident lawyer such as Gary A Kessler at the Law Offices of Gary A Kessler to protect your rights and those of your loved ones.
The California pedestrian and bicycle accident attorney Gary A Kessler and the Law Offices of Gary A Kessler are compassionate and fully understand that you are attempting to cope with extreme serious injuries associated with a pedestrian/bicycle accident. Such accidents can lead to catastrophic injuries or even death. The Law Offices of Gary A Kessler, carefully selects its wrongful death and pedestrian/bicycle accident cases so that we may give you (the client) the substantial personal attention necessary to obtain a successful result for your case.
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Update: Pickup driver dies, eighth killed in bus crash
The driver of a pickup that crashed head-on with an out of control tour bus has died, raising the death toll in the Yucaipa crash to eight.
Fred Bailey Richardson, 72, of Mountain Home Village died shortly after 6:30 a.m. Wednesday at Loma Linda University Medical Center from severe injuries he suffered in the crash.
Richardson was driving home along Highway 38, just north of Bryant Road near Yucaipa when the tour bus careened into the oncoming lane at a curve in the road. Richardson’s pickup was towing a trailer full of landscaping equipment when it crashed head-on with the bus, causing the bus to overturn.
The Mexican tour bus, returning from a ski-trip in Big Bear, ejected several people and killed seven people on board.
The other dead passengers are Guadalupe Olivas, 61; Elvira Garcia Jimenez, 40; Victor Cabrera Garcia, 13; Aleida Adriana Arce Hernandez, 38, Rubicelia Escobedo Flores, 34, and Mario Garcia Santoyo, 32.
Richardson’s blue pickup was flattened in the crash, but paramedics were able to pull Richardson from the wreckage. He was in critical condition for three days while surrounded by family members in his hospital bed, said Brenda Knight, Richardson’s niece who is also a Beaumont City Councilwoman.
California Highway Patrol officials said the Multi-Disciplinary Accident Investigation Team would continue their investigation this week with “an extensive bumper to bumper inspection” on the tour bus to determine if there was brake failure or other mechanical issues that caused the crash.
MAIT investigators planned to investigate the brakes, engine, steering, driver controls and suspension components to see if any played a part in the crash. The inspection will take several days and the results may not be immediately released.
The bus driver, Norberto B. Perez, 52, of San Yasidro was interviewed by CHP officers, but remains hospitalized.
A separate investigation is also being conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board.
Both investigations are expected to last several months.
7 Killed, Dozens Hurt in Yucaipa Tour Bus Crash
The bus full of tired tourists from Mexico was slowly winding its way down the mountain from the ski resort town of Big Bear when it suddenly picked up speed. The driver shouted to call 911 — the brakes had failed. The bus left Tijuana early Sunday for the three-hour ride to ferry people up to Big Bear for a day in the snow.
The bus rear-ended a Saturn sedan, swerved, flipped and slid on its side. A Ford pickup in the oncoming lane plowed into it, righting the bus and tossing passengers out shattered windows before it came to a halt.
At least eight people were killed Sunday night and dozens more were injured when the tour bus crashed on a mountain road near Yucaipa.
The bus and two other vehicles collided around 6:30 p.m. Sunday on State Route 38 north of Yucaipa and below Forest Falls, authorities said.
Authorities believe the bus rear-ended a sedan, crashed with a pickup truck pulling a trailer and then rolled over.
The sedan was carrying three people, and the truck had one occupant, officials said.
More than 35 people were injured, according to CHP spokesman Mario Lopez. Some injuries were minor, and some were severe.
The bus was going slowly down the hill and was being passed by other vehicles, including the Saturn, when it suddenly sped up for an unknown reason, according to a person involved in the investigation who requested anonymity because the probe was ongoing.
The bus traveled about a mile from the point it struck the Saturn until it came to a stop, said California Highway Patrol Officer Leon Lopez.
Government records showed the bus, operated by Scapadas Magicas of National City, Calif., recorded 22 safety violations in inspections over a year — including brake, windshield and tire problems.
The crash littered State Route 38 with body parts, winter clothing and debris. The bus stood across both lanes with its windows blown out, front end crushed and part of the roof peeled back like a tin can.
It took firefighters more than two hours to extricate all the injured from the twisted wreckage.
Some of the victims were ejected from the bus, while others were trapped inside.
“It’s a horrific scene,” Lopez said. “Probably one of the worst ones I have seen in my career. There are victims inside the bus, outside the bus, personal belongings [everywhere].”
At least five patients — two minor girls and three adults — were transported to Loma Linda University Medical Center. One of the girls and one adult were reportedly in critical condition.
Victims were also taken to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, Redlands Community Hospital, Community Hospital of San Bernardino and St. Bernardine Medical Center.
The cause of the crash remains unclear, but the bus driver reportedly told investigators the bus had brake problems while coming down the mountain.
Witnesses said that they saw smoke coming from the back of the bus and that it was going very fast, said Michelle Profant, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Transportation.
Investigators will determine if mechanical failure or driver error was to blame. The road, which sometimes closes in winter during snow storms, was dry at the time.
The bus driver, Norberto B. Perez, approximately 52, of San Ysidro, was in serious condition, authorities said.
The driver told investigators the vehicle had brake problems.
The National Transportation Safety Board sent a team to the scene to help in the probe.
Federal transportation records show the bus company was licensed to carry passengers for interstate travel and that it had no crashes in the past two years.
Stephen Keppler of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, a group with industry and government members, said buses and trucks average about two violations for each inspection.
Overall, buses operated by the firm flunked 36 percent of random inspections, the records indicate. That’s higher than the national average for similar companies — a 21 percent failure rate.
Investigators are interviewing witnesses, and they have spoken to the bus driver at the hospital.
Authorities said the bus departed from Tijuana early Sunday and appeared to be heading back there from Big Bear when it crashed.
Information on the bus indicated it was registered to Scapadas Magicas of National City.
Federal authorities said 75% of carriers in the same class have a better safety record.
As a result of the findings from roadside inspections, the U.S. Department of Transportation had placed Scapadas Magicas on a watch list that prioritized its buses for intervention and roadside inspection.
The trip was organized by Tijuana-based InterBus Tours, according to a Facebook posting by the company, which said, “We regret deeply that this happened.”
The company’s Facebook page advertises travel packages from Tijuana to Disneyland, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Universal Studios, Knott’s Berry Farm, Las Vegas and area vineyards.
On Friday, it advertised two upcoming trips: one to Big Bear on Sunday and another to Knott’s on Monday.
The National Transportation Safety Board has sent a team to the crash site to investigate. The Mexican consulate was also at the scene.
At least 17 people were still hospitalized, including at least five in critical condition. One is a girl.
The pickup driver was in extremely serious condition, said Peter Brierty, assistant county fire chief. Three people were in the Saturn.
Rocky Shaw, San Bernardino County coroner’s investigation, said one of the dead victims was a 13-year-old boy. The boy’s family from Tijuana was meeting with Mexican Consulate officials after spending the night going from hospital to hospital looking for him.
Jordi Garcia, marketing director of Interbus, said his company rented the bus from Scapadas Magicas, which supplied the driver.
Interbus offers Mexicans near-daily bus tours to the western U.S. from Tijuana. Its office in a Tijuana strip mall displays photographs of some of its destinations, including Hollywood, the Las Vegas Strip and the San Diego Zoo.
There were 38 people aboard the bus that crashed, including the driver and a tour guide, Garcia said. The bus left Tijuana at 5 a.m. Sunday, with the itinerary calling for a return late that night.
“Everything points to faulty brakes,” Garcia said.
Highway 38 is likely to be closed until Monday evening as the investigation continues. You can take State Route 330 or SR 18 as an alternate.
Tour bus crash in Oregon leaves 9 dead
A tour bus careened through a guardrail along an icy Oregon highway and 100 feet down a steep embankment Sunday, killing nine people and injuring more than 20 others, authorities said.
The charter bus carrying about 40 people lost control around 10:30 a.m. on snow- and ice-covered lanes of Interstate 84 in a rural area of eastern Oregon, according to the Oregon State Police. The bus crashed near the start of a 7-mile section of road that winds down a hill.
The bus came to rest at the bottom of a snowy slope and landed upright, with little or no debris visible around the crash site.
More than a dozen rescue workers descended the hill and used ropes to help retrieve people from the wreckage in freezing weather. The bus driver was among the survivors, but had not yet spoken to police because of the severity of the injuries the driver had suffered.
Lt. Gregg Hastings said the bus crashed along the west end of the Blue Mountains, and west of an area called Deadman Pass. The area is so dangerous the state transportation department published specific warnings for truck drivers, advising it had “some of the most changeable and severe weather conditions in the Northwest” and can lead to slick conditions and poor visibility.
St. Anthony Hospital in Pendleton treated 26 people from the accident, said hospital spokesman Larry Blanc. Five of those treated at St. Anthony were transported to other facilities.
The East Oregonian said it spoke with two South Korean passengers, ages 16 and 17. Both said through a translator that they were seated near the rear of the bus when it swerved a few times, hit the guardrail and flipped. They described breaking glass and seeing passengers pinned by their seats as the bus slid down the hill. Both said that they feared for their lives.
The paper said that the teens, one of whom injured a knee and the other suffered a broken collarbone, were staying at a hotel arranged by the Red Cross.
I-84 is a major east-west highway through Oregon that follows the Columbia River Gorge.
Umatilla County Emergency Manager Jack Remillard said the bus was owned by Mi Joo travel in Vancouver, B.C., and state police said the bus was en route from Las Vegas to Vancouver.
A woman who answered the phone at a listing for the company confirmed with The Associated Press that it owned the bus and said it was on a tour of the Western U.S. She declined to give her name.
A bus safety website run by the U.S. Department of Transportation said Mi Joo Tour & Travel has six buses, none of which have been involved in any accidents in at least the past two years.
The bus crash was the second fatal accident on the same highway in Oregon on Sunday. A 69-year-old man died in a rollover accident about 30 miles west of the area where the bus crashed.
A spokesman for the American Bus Association said buses carry more than 700 million passengers a year in the United States.
“The industry as a whole is a very safe industry,” said Dan Ronan of the Washington, D.C.,-based group. “There are only a handful of accidents every year. Comparatively speaking, we’re the safest form of surface transportation.”
The bus crash comes more than two months after another chartered tour bus in October veered off a highway in northern Arizona, killing the driver and injuring dozens of passengers who were mostly tourists from Asia and Europe. Authorities say the driver likely had a medical episode.
Bus Accidents and Wrongful Death Liability
Demand accountability from those responsible for the bus accidents. A bus driver is a “common carrier” who owes you the “highest duty of care!” Many times the insurance companies for the bus companies (i.e., many times they are “self insured”) will play “hardball” if you try to settle the case yourself or you have employed a lawyer who does not have the litigation experience to handle such a complex bus case. We at the Law Offices of Gary A Kessler have twenty years of litigation experience and know how to handle the insurance companies to your advantage. We are prepared to front all costs required for the necessary investigation and expert witnesses needed to prepare your case for trial as well as file all government claims. Unfortunately, the reality is that most bus accident victims usually sustain serious/catastrophic injuries which many times results in death. Over the past twenty years attorney Gary A Kessler has a proven successful track record demanding accountability from the responsible parties and obtaining outstanding results for his clients.
The laws regarding bus accident cases are complex and include many facets of the law. It is vital to surviving family members to seek the advice of an experienced bus accident lawyer such as Gary A Kessler at the Law Offices of Gary A Kessler to protect your rights and those of your loved ones.
The California bus accident attorney Gary A Kessler and the Law Offices of Gary A Kessler are compassionate and fully understand that you are attempting to cope with serious injuries associated with a bus accident. Such bus accidents can lead to catastrophic injuries or even death. The Law Offices of Gary A Kessler carefully selects its wrongful death and bus accident cases so that we may give you (the client) the substantial personal attention necessary to obtain a successful result for your bus accident case.
The Law Offices of Gary A Kessler is prepared to front all costs required for a thorough investigation and top expert witnesses to prepare for the trial of your case. As in all bus accident and serious personal injury cases, we advance all legal costs to prepare and present our client’s claim, and receive for our services only a percentage of what we recover for our attorney fees on their behalf. Upon settlement our costs shall be reimbursed to us from the gross recovery. If there is no recovery, no attorneys fees or costs are owed to our firm. Contact the Law Offices of Gary A Kessler today so we can preserve the evidence and demand compensation and accountability from the responsible party.
If you have been seriously injured or a family member sustained fatal injuries involving a bus, you need to contact the Law Offices of Gary A Kessler or another experienced law firm immediately to protect your legal rights and preserve the evidence. Claims for damages against a public entity or governmental entity are complex and they have “strict time limitations”. So do not delay and contact the Law Offices of Gary A Kessler today!
