New York Bus Accident Commentary by Houston Bus Injury Lawyers

Bus Accident in New York Takes 15th Life

Fifteen people have now died and several others were critically injured in a New York City bus accident March 12, 2011.  A 70 year-old man passed away in the hospital today as a result of the personal injuries he sustained in the catastrophic bus crash.

According to various news reports, the crash occurred on Interstate 95 near the Bronx borough.  A casino bus swerved out of control, skidded next to a guardrail and slammed into the support pole of a freeway exit sign.  The bus flipped onto its side and was literally sliced in half by the pole.  The World Wide Tours bus was returning to New York from the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut.  And now, tragically, 15 of the 32 people on board are dead.  Officials have said most of the passengers were of Chinese descent.  Of the fatalities, the New York City medical examiner’s office has reported nine were men and six were women, all of which died of “blunt-force trauma.”

Bus driver Ophadell Williams, has relayed that his bus was clipped by a passing tractor-trailer, which sped away.  Police are still investigating all potential causes of the incident.

What Caused the Bus Accident?

Based on current news reports, it remains unclear what caused this fatal bus accident.  The driver maintains that he and the others were victims of a hit-and-run collision.  However, our bus accident lawyers have read multiple media reports of the bus driver speeding and himself contributing to or causing the crash.  The National Transportation and Safety Board, along with various other federal and state officials are looking into this allegation as well.

Our hearts go out to the victims’ families, and we pray for their strength in this time of loss.  If this was a hit and run truck-bus accident, we ask that the trucker step forward and own up to his act.  It’s a little hard to believe that a tractor-trailer driver clipped a large bus hard enough to cause this amount of damage, and never realized what happened.  As experienced Texas truck accident lawyers, we know that it’s hard to be optimistic when it comes to locating hit and run drivers.  But, we hope that the trucker here is located or turns himself in.