February 4th, 2013 | 
Author: YUCAIPA, Calif. — Eight people were killed and dozens more were injured in a bus crash Sunday, Feb. 3, near Yucaipa, California. The bus was carrying dozens of men, women and children from Tijuana, Mexico, who had spent Sunday at a winter recreation area.
Photo shows tour bus accident near Yucaipa, California Feb. 3, 2013
According to California Highway Patrol spokesman Mario Lopez, the accident occurred on Highway 38 north of Yucaipa where a speeding tour bus on its way back from Big Bear Lake Sunday night, rear-ended a Saturn sedan on a mountain road, flipped and then hit a Ford pickup truck.
Map shows location of tour bus accident on Feb, 3, 2013 near Yucaipa, California.
Eight people were killed and more than three dozen people were injured, and at least 17 were still hospitalized, including at least five in critical condition.
The media reported that State Route 38 was strewn with body parts and debris across both lanes and the bus was laying on its side with its windows blown out, front end crushed and part of the roof peeled back like a tin can.
The tour bus was operated by Scapadas Magicas LLC, based in National City, Calif. Records obtained Monday said the company had failed more than a third of federal vehicle safety inspections in the past two years.
Inspection reports posted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration show brake issues were noted in at least three inspections since October 2011.
Although no official cause of the accident has been determined yet, “It appears speed was a factor in this collision,” Lopez said.
The bus driver, who survived but was injured, told investigators the vehicle had brake problems.
The incident remains under investigation at this time to determine if mechanical failure or driver error was to blame.
Truck accident attorneys, Gordon, Elias & Seely explain that poorly maintained bus or truck brakes are the single greatest factor contributing to truck and bus accidents, according to a study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NTSA) and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). More than 29 percent of commercial accidents in the study involved brake failure, brakes out of adjustment, worn brake components, or other problems with the truck brakes. The failure to maintain the bus, cab, trailer, hydraulic brakes, air brakes or tires of a tractor-trailer rig can often result in truck accidents. The negligence to properly maintain a bus or commercial vehicle can be the responsibility of the company, a maintenance contractor or the driver himself. For more information about bus laws, California truck accident law and victims rights, call toll free 24/7 at 1.800.773.6770.
Posted in