Wild Crash Closes Interstate 89

[baker7]

At about 10:47AM, I was sitting at my desk and I went in to read the Tmes Argus, my local newspaper. I saw a Breaking News Story with Bus Plows Into Cars on Interstate 89 in Middlesex (VT) as the title.

at about the same time, I got a look at what our local TV station had on the story, with Video as well Wild Crash Closes Interstate 89

This bus is a GMTA LINK Express bus, which commuters use to get from Montpelier to Burlington, and from Burlington to Montpelier. Apparently, the driver was approaching a construction zone, hit a car and tried to stop, but his brakes failed, so he had to swerve into the median to stop the bus and avoid any further injuries. This driver was injured, but all are fine now, but I am happy that no one was seriously injured or killed, because the driver was able to ride the median to stop the vehicle. The video for this story is in the top left corner, above the story, with the Camera Icon.

I have ridden in that very vehicle before, (924), and I am glad that our drivers are safe drivers, and I have every confidence that they will determine what happened, and will take the appropriate steps to insure that this will not happen again.

Thank GOD for safe drivers

Brian

[JDoors]

Thank God. That could have gone VERY differently.

[baker7]

Yes, I am VERY happy that no one was seriously injured. I would normally ride on the right side of the bus, behind the entry door, in a locked down position. The chair is connected to the vehicle with a 4 point strap down system, where the driver would hook to the front of the wheelchair, then hook the other 2 into the back of the chair on the frame. all 4 tie downs are connected to the vehicle, so IF I were to roll forward or get into an accident, the straps would cinch up and hold me STILL. I also wear a lap belt that holds me in postion.

GMTA and CCTA Drivers are professionals, and I am glad they are trained in what they do, so that they can minimize the damage done. The driver of this bus is a well respected, courteous, professional individual, and because of drivers like him, I will ride. and continue to ride public transit. It is things like this that make me more and more aware of things around you, and it makes you realize that you can take NOTHING for granted. I did not ride yesterday, but I have ridden that bus several times, and each time I do, I am always pleased with the way things go!

I guess they will also investigate when and how the brakes on this bus failed - I am still at a loss myself, because usually, air brakes do not fail without an audible warning, or a warning for loss of air pressure - They will take this bus back to the Burlington Garage, and check her for the problems.

Thank Goodness no one died - It could have been, and sounded alot worse

Brian

Edited May 15, 2009 by baker7

[bozodog]

Gollee Brian, sure glad you were watching and not riding. As for you being strapped in, do the other seats have belts?

I drive (volunteer) a 14 passenger bus for the local community center and it has a w/c lift with 2 tie down spots. The rest of the seats do have belts, but I go crazy getting my "bluehairedladies" to buckle up.

I feel the same about school buses, why don't they have belts? We've seen some very ugly accidents involving the big yellow things through the years.

[baker7]

POLICE: Crashed Bus had No Mechanical Problems (Times Argus Dot Com -LINK)

According to the Paper this morning, there has no mechanical problems with the bus, which means that Vermont State Police will now reinterview the driver, and take a look at the Video Survailance Cameras aboard the bus, to determine what, if anything was happening while the vehicle was moving from Burlington to Montpelier on I89. I am wondering if a sudden gust of wind may have done something and made the bus do what it did - It was stated that the brakes failed after the accident, but a gust of wind can throw you a little when you are going 70-75 MPH.

Brian

[baker7]

Gollee Brian, sure glad you were watching and not riding. As for you being strapped in, do the other seats have belts?

I drive (volunteer) a 14 passenger bus for the local community center and it has a w/c lift with 2 tie down spots. The rest of the seats do have belts, but I go crazy getting my "bluehairedladies" to buckle up.

I feel the same about school buses, why don't they have belts? We've seen some very ugly accidents involving the big yellow things through the years.

Thanks, Bozodog, I am glad I wasn't aboard that bus either, although I have ridden aboard that vehicle (Bus 924) in the past - I am thankful that the driver did what he had to do, and was able to finally stop that bus, because the wreckage was strewn all over the highway for a distance of a QUARTER MILE!!

As for the seatbelt question, Chris Cole, Execuutive Director of the GMTA and CCTA says that there were no seatbelts in the bus, because they were not available at the time of the bus manufacture date. This means that anyone seated in the bus in the seats did NOT have seatbelts available. If I read the (earlier article) right, he is going to have these installed as soon as they become available, as now they are available for most of the vehicles in the fleet that were purchased this year. This is important, because these busses are doing 70-75 MPH up the highway, and we have at least 2-3 trips a day going up and back from Montpelier and Burlington each weekday morning and afternoon.

I have every confidence that changes will be made, since the company's main concern is the safety of its passengers Our Link Busses (like the one in the Picture) have seatbelts for the people in wheelchair tiedown locations (2 per vehicle - one on the left side behind the driver, and one on the right side, behind the entry door), and for all of our local transit busses the new ones have belts at all seats, as well as 2 tie downs and wheelchair belts, 4 point restraint - In fact, one driver I know will always ASK me if I want him to belt me to the floor, and I refuse if I am going local, but INSIST upon it if I am on the LINK Express. You never know when the heck you are gonna be moving side to side, or have those belts cinch up, and the belts hold the chair STILL, but I don't know what the heck would happen if I was on the LINK in lockdown on the right, and this happened while on board.........I do know that I will still ride, but I will be more observant.

School busses and other transit options should have seatbelts, so that people are NOT getting shot all over the bus. being 77 passenger busses, (school busses) I think the only law is that the young ones (Vermont) are required to be belted into the seat, and in some cases, when they do NOT meet the 4'9" height standard, they should be in carseats or boosters. Whether this is enforced on a school bus, I do not know, but I do know that the driver of my schoolbus, which I am stuill good friends with, required us to be buckled in, and we listened to what she said!! (I was going to school in the 70's and 80's)

It does not matter to me whether its a School bus, a Transit bus, or a private contractor's vehicle: Passenger Safety is the Paramount concern. Every State in the Union should have a seatbelt law, and it should be enforced. There are different laws for motor coaches and such, and that is cool, but as you see accidents like this, you realize WHY seatbelts are there, when they are there

Brian

[JDoors]

... school buses, why don't they have belts? ...

They've been tested dozens of times and come up short for various reasons (having to force kids to use them, maintenance issues that wind up making them less safe, without a shoulder belt they may actually CAUSE injuries while ADDING a shoulder belt increases some problems, getting kids out after an incident, etc.). Instead, they pad the seat-backs far more deeply than would be practical in cars.