Salina Megabus Double-Decker Crash Kills 4, Seriously Injures Several Others
A bus accident near Syracuse, New York has left 4 dead, 5 seriously injured, and the bus driver with a head injury. The remaining19 passengers received medical attention. The New York Daily News reports that those who were killed and seriously injured occupied the top deck of the 13-foot-tall double-decker Megabus. It is suspected that the driver was confused due to being lost, causing him to pass under the bridge, which is only 10-foot, 9-inches tall. As a result, the Megabus’s top deck was shredded and the bus flipped onto its side.
An investigation into the Salina double-decker bus crash is pending; however, police do not suspect that the bus driver was intoxicated. Since it has been reported that there are several signs warning of the bridge’s height, those examining the events leading up to the collision may look into whether some form of driver distraction contributed to the crash.
Preliminary data for 2008 from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) notes that 307 people were killed in accidents involving buses and 24,000 were injured. While serious commercial bus accidents like this one do not happen as often as other types of motor vehicle collisions, bus passengers are more susceptible to serious injury and even death. This heightened risk is presented by a lack of air bags and seat belts in most commercial buses.
Individuals who are injured in a bus accident caused by another person’s negligence have legal rights that deserve to be upheld and protected. Injury victims as well as family members of those killed in bus collisions can seek compensation for their losses, pain and suffering, and other damages. The New York bus accident attorneys at Wingate, Russotti & Shapiro LLP have years of experience in motor vehicle litigation including bus accidents. For a free consultation of your case, call 212-986-7353 today.
