The driver responsible for a New York bus accident in March 2011 reportedly had his license suspended 18 times, according to BusinessWeek.com. The driver, Ophandell Williams, was also reportedly involved in another accident three days before the one in March, which claimed the lives of 15 people. The bus was returning to New York from the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut when it flipped over and hit a signpost, ripping off the roof.
“The fact that he had a crash on a bus three days prior and they were still allowing him to drive is indicative of a company that puts profits ahead of passenger safety,” says Henry Jansy, vice president of Advocates for Highways and Auto Safety. Williams was driving the bus for World Wide Travel, based in New York.
Williams claimed that a semi truck veered into his lane, running him and the bus off the road. Investigators found no evidence of a collision or the involvement of another vehicle. Records showed that the driver was able to get little to no sleep in the three days prior to the accident, as was shown in his work logs and cell phone records. Williams was charged with manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide following the accident.
There is no excuse for a company to overwork drivers and hire drivers with a history or recklessness. People’s lives are at stake.
Spevack Law Firm—Middlesex County truck accident attorneys.
