The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has ordered that a bus company operating between Los Angeles and Tijuana, Mexico, be shut down after a crash that killed eight people, according to a report by ABC News.
Federal officials have shut down the company whose tour bus went out of control before a catastrophic collision with two other vehicles on February 3, 2013. According to a news report in The Press-Enterprise, federal officials said the bus company is an "imminent hazard" to public safety after finding mechanical problems with its other buses. Eight people, including seven passengers, were killed in that bus crash that occurred near Yucaipa. The victims who were killed in this crash have been identified as Fred B. Richardon, 72; Guadalupe Olivas, 61; Elvira Garcia Jimenez, 40; Victor Cabrera Garcia, 13; Aleida Adriana Arce Hernandez, 38, Rubicelia Escobedo Flores, 34; Liliana Camerina Sanchez Sauceda, 24; and Mario Garcia Santoyo, 32.
In addition, U.S. Department of Transportation investigators determined that Tijuana-based Scapadas Magicas provided them with documentation during a January compliance check that falsely stated that its buses were well maintained and that its drivers were properly licensed.
Bus Company Lied to Inspectors
It is not rare for a bus company to get caught lying to officials on these important matters, a federal official told The Press-Enterprise. The Department of Transportation and California Highway Patrol periodically do compliance reviews of bus companies. During these reviews, investigators will make unscheduled visits to review licenses, medical certificates, driver logs and maintenance records as well as result of drug and alcohol testing programs.
CHP officers may conduct random inspections in the field usually at the bus company or terminal to verify documentation. An officer has the power to take a bus out of service on the spot if he or she decides it is in poor mechanical shape or that the driver is not properly licensed. Scapadas Magicas supplied documentation to officials in January suggesting no problems. But when officials inspected two other buses that the company operates in the United States, they found serious mechanical safety violations.
It is critical that those who have been injured or have lost loved ones in this tragic bus crash contact an experienced California bus accident attorney who will strive to preserve important evidence in this case and hold the bus company accountable. It is appalling that this bus company gambled with the lives of its passengers and apparently, did so routinely. I'm relieved that federal officials have banned this company from operating, at least for now.
An 81-year-old man was killed and a 50-year-old man was critically injured after both were struck by an MTA bus while they were crossing an intersection in West Hollywood. According to a CBS Los Angeles news report, the fatal crash occurred the night of February 4, 2013 at the intersection of Santa Monica Boulevard and Palm Avenue. The driver of the MTA bus told officials that he was driving the vehicle back to the depot at the end of the shift when the collision occurred. The elderly man died while the younger man has been hospitalized in critical condition. The driver underwent a toxicology test. No passengers were on board the bus at the time of the crash. The investigation is ongoing.
Pedestrian Injuries and Fatalities
In West Hollywood, two pedestrians were killed and 50 were injured as a result of auto accidents in 2010, according to California Highway Patrol's Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS). In Los Angeles County as a whole, 195 people died and 4,535 were injured due to pedestrian versus vehicle collisions.
Crosswalk Laws
Based on this news report, it appears that the men were crossing at the intersection of Palm and Santa Monica Boulevard, where there are painted crosswalks. It is not clear why the MTA bus driver did not stop and yield the right-of-way to the pedestrians. Under California Vehicle Code Section 21950, motorists are required to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians walking in marked or unmarked crosswalks.
The same section also states that 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 a vehicle or take any other action relating to the operating of the vehicle as necessary to safeguard the safety of the pedestrian."
Who is Liable?
I trust officials are looking into whether the bus driver was intoxicated, drowsy, speeding or distracted when this collision occurred. If the bus driver is determined to have been at fault, he and his employer could be held liable for the elderly pedestrian's wrongful death and the serious injuries caused to the other pedestrian. If a dangerous roadway or intersection caused this collision, the city or governmental agency responsible for maintaining the roadway can also be held liable. Please remember that any personal injury or wrongful death claim against a governmental agency must be filed within 180 days of the incident.
A Los Angeles bus accident involving a Metro bus and a car left eight people injured. According to a KABC news report, the injury crash occurred at the intersection of Venice Boulevard and Spaulding Avenue, the morning of September 2, 2012. Police said the bus that was traveling westbound on Venice Boulevard had a green light at Spaulding Avenue, but an eastbound driver turned in front of the bus. The bus driver was unable to avoid the collision. Emergency personnel took six people from the bus and two from the other vehicle to area hospitals for treatment of injuries. The nature or extent of the victims' injuries is not known. The investigation is ongoing.
My heart goes out to the injured victims of this Los Angeles car accident. I wish them the very best for a speedy and complete recovery. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.
Continue reading "Metro Bus Crash in Los Angeles Leaves Eight Injured" »
A 70-year-old man was severely injured in a Baldwin Park accident when a bus struck his bicycle. According to a news report in The San Gabriel Valley Tribune, the collision occurred at the intersection of Ramona Boulevard and Cesar Chavez Drive in Baldwin Park, the evening of August 27, 2012. Officials say the bicyclist was in a crosswalk when the southbound bus turned east and struck him. The victim was transported to a nearby medical center in stable condition. It is not clear if the bus driver will be cited for the crash.
My thoughts and prayers are with the injured victim of this Los Angeles bicycle accident. I wish him the very best for a complete and speedy recovery.
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At least 16 people were injured in a West Los Angeles bus crash after the driver of an SUV crossed the center divider and crashed into the bus. According to a CBS news report, the injury crash occurred the evening of August 8, 2012 in the 9700 block of Venice Boulevard. The driver of the SUV was seriously injured. A pickup truck was also involved in the crash. Fifteen people suffered non-life-threatening injuries. The drivers of the SUV and the pickup truck were transported to an area hospital with serious injuries. Officials are looking into the cause of this collision.
My heart goes out to the injured victims of this three-vehicle collision. I wish them the very best for a speedy and complete recovery.
Continue reading "Metro Bus Crash Injures More Than a Dozen in Palms" »
Four people were injured in a Los Angeles traffic collision that involved two vehicles and a Metro bus. According to a news report in Blog Downtown, the injury collision occurred the morning of July 23, 2012 in the 700 block of Figueroa Street. The report states that a Metro Silver Line bus that was northbound on Figueroa hit a car that was moving around the bus to make a right turn. The car that was hit by the bus then struck another adjacent vehicle. The bus driver and three passengers were transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Officials are looking into what caused this crash.
My thoughts and prayers are with the injured victims of this car versus bus accident. I wish them the very best for a speedy and complete recovery.
Continue reading "Four Injured in Downtown Los Angeles Bus Accident" »
Five children were injured in a Los Angeles car accident after a vehicle collided with their school bus. According to a KTLA news report, the bus accident occurred at the intersection of South Main Street and 157th Street in Gardena, the afternoon of June 14, 2012. Officials say a Mitsubishi Eclipse was making a right onto 157th Street when it collided with the school bus sending the bus crashing into the wall of a building on South Main Street. Police say that female driver of the Eclipse had alcohol on her breath and appeared to be intoxicated. She is expected to be booked on suspicion of driving under the influence. None of the injuries is believed to be life threatening.
My thoughts and prayers are with the injured children. I wish them the very best for a speedy and complete recovery. It is indeed fortunate that none of them suffered critical injuries.
Continue reading "School Bus Accident in Gardena Involves Suspected Drunk Driver" »
One person was injured in a Los Angeles car accident after a vehicle collided with a school bus, the morning of March 28, 2012. According to a report in the Los Angeles Daily News, the bus accident occurred in the 14600 block of Burbank Boulevard in Van Nuys. Officials say a school bus containing a few students collided with a smaller vehicle. No one on the bus was injured but an occupant of the car was transported to the hospital with unknown injuries. The incident remains under investigation.
My thoughts and prayers are with those affected by this Los Angeles school bus accident. I am relieved to hear no students were hurt and I wish the victim the very best for a complete and speedy recovery.
Continue reading "Los Angeles School Bus Accident Causes Injuries" »
Orange County, California is an affluent county just South of Los Angeles, yet the public bus system and school bus system has come under fire in recent years due to various personal injuries and bus accidents that could have been prevented. These are often caused by DUI or distracted bus drivers and it is estimated that 90% of all bus accidents are caused by human error or negligence. So if you have been in an accident, contact the Orange County bus accident lawyers today.
Continue reading "Public Buses in Orange County Coming Under Scrutiny" »
Seven people were injured, one critically, in a Temecula car accident that involved a Riverside Transit agency bus and several other vehicles. According to a news report in The Press-Enterprise, the major injury accident occurred on the Interstate 15 at Winchester Road, the morning of August 10, 2011. California Highway Patrol officials say, the transit bus carrying five passengers slammed into the back of a box truck that was stopped at the end of a line of cars waiting to exit the freeway. The bus driver did not notice the backed up vehicles. The bus driver's leg was almost severed in the crash and his injuries are potentially life-threatening. Six others were transported to area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries.
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A pregnant woman and 10 others suffered injuries in a Los Angeles car accident involving a Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) bus. According to a news report in the Los Angeles Times, the injury bus accident occurred the night of June 14, 2011, near West Adams Boulevard and 6th Avenue, in Jefferson Park. A 30-year-old female driver suffered critical injuries when her car collided with the bus. The 25-year-old pregnant woman on the bus suffered serious injuries, while her three daughters suffered minor injuries. Six other passengers ranging in age from 18 to 65 also sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Officials are investigating the cause of the crash.
My thoughts and prayers are with the many injured victims of this Los Angeles bus accident. I wish everyone affected by this crash a complete and speedy recovery.
Continue reading "Los Angeles Metro Bus Accident Injures 11" »
A woman was injured in a San Francisco car accident involving a runaway Muni bus. According to a report in the San Jose Mercury News, the injury bus accident occurred on San Jose Avenue near Mission Street in Daly City the evening of April 17, 2011. Investigators are trying to determine if the bus was being driven at the time of the accident, or if the vehicle was improperly parked and rolled down the roadway. The female driver of the car that the bus slammed into sustained non-life-threatening injuries. However, she had to be extricated from her vehicle. An investigation is ongoing.
I'm relieved to hear that the victim of this bus accident did not suffer major or fatal injuries. I wish her the very best for a complete and speedy recovery. She will be in my thoughts and prayers.
Car Accident Statistics
According to California Highway Patrol’s 2008 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), three people were killed and 248 were injured in Daly City car accidents. During that same year, there were 36 fatalities and 2,673 injuries reported due to San Mateo County car accidents.
Continue reading "San Francisco Area Muni Bus Accident Causes Injuries" »
A driver was injured in a Riverside car accident when his pickup truck collided with a school bus the evening of April 13, 2011. According to a news report in The Press Enterprise, the bus accident occurred on Cajalco Road near La Sierra Avenue in El Cerrito. None of the 32 students from Centennial High School, who were on board the bus, were injured in the accident. The driver of the pickup truck sustained what were believed to be moderate injuries. An investigation is ongoing.
I am relieved to hear that none of the young passengers on the school bus were injured in this bus accident. My thoughts and prayers are with the injured victim. I wish him a complete and speedy recovery.
Car Accident Statistics
According to California Highway Patrol’s 2008 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), 121 fatalities and 2,615 injuries were reported as a result of car accidents in the unincorporated areas of Riverside County. Also, countywide, car accidents claimed 220 lives and injured 8,561 people during the same year.
Continue reading "One Injured in Riverside County School Bus Accident" »
Investigators looking into a New York bus accident, which killed 15 passengers and critically injured six, have found that the driver, Ophadell Williams, is a convicted felon and that the bus company has had a history of falsifying logs that listed information about drivers' hours and rest periods. According to an Associated Press news report, a bus owned by World Wide Travel, which was making an early morning run from the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut to New York's Chinatown went off the roadway and flipped. A pole on the roadway pierced the windshield and tore the bus in half, shearing off its roof.
Officials are still investigating William's claim that he lost control because the bus was clipped by a tractor-trailer which left the scene. But authorities have also gotten reports from passengers that Williams was speeding, dozing off and driving erratically right before the crash. Investigators found that five out of eight random inspections that the bus company had over the last 10 years showed their logs were not current, complete or legible.
Continue reading "Bus Company in Deadly Bronx Crash Has History of Safety Violations" »
