The death toll from a deadly bus accident in New York has now touched 15 with the death of a 70-year-old man from his injuries. The accident occurred over the weekend on Interstate 95 when a tour bus which was taking a group of casino goers back to Chinatown, flipped over and skidded several yards before crashing into a pole. The pole crashed right through the window of the bus, cutting the bus in half, severely injuring the occupants inside. 14 passengers died immediately, and several were injured, some of them critically.
According to the bus driver, his bus was clipped by an 18-wheeler, which caused the bus to overturn and skid several years before it hit a pole. The bus driver’s account of the accident may not be completely accurate. Police now believe that the driver was traveling at excessive speeds. Witness accounts have reported that the bus was traveling at “reckless speeds” before it turned over.
The fallout from the bus accident has been immediate. Sen. Charles Schumer Democrat-New York and Congresswoman Nydia Velasquez Democrat-New York have called on the National Transportation Safety Board to begin an investigation into the safety regulations followed by discount tour buses. The bus involved in the accident was one of the several low-cost tour buses that transport casino goers to casinos in Connecticut and other states. While this section of the tour bus industry has expanded rapidly, oversight of safety regulations hasn’t kept pace. The National Transportation Safety Board is expected to announce its findings on Saturday’s accident by the end of this week.
This is an incredible tragedy for the city of New York, and our hearts go out to the families of the victims killed here.
The New York City personal injury attorneys at Godosky and Gentile represent injured victims of auto/bus/truck accidents in the city of New York.