Death toll in NYC bus crash rises to 15

[News_Editor]

Death toll in NYC bus crash rises to 15

2011-03-15 06:56:55 GMT+7 (ICT)

NEW YORK CITY (BNO NEWS) -- The death toll in Saturday's tour bus crash in New York rose to 15, while the bus driver's record shows extensive convictions, including manslaughter, local authorities said Monday.

Ophadell Eric Williams, 40, and driver of the World Wide Tours bus that crashed and killed 15 people, has an extended criminal record, but he has not been charged for the bus crash.

On Saturday, at around 5:30 a.m. local time, the bus that Williams was driving flipped over on its right side on Interstate 95 on the New England Thruway at the Hutchinson River Parkway in the Bronx, New York. The bus slid around 300 feet until hitting a pole at the height of its windshield, slicing the bus almost in half and tearing its roof off.

The death toll on Monday rose to 15 after a 70-year-old man, who had been in critical condition succumbed to his wounds at St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx. The bus, which was carrying 32 passengers, was returning from the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut and were heading to Manhattan's Chinatown.

According to some of the 17 passengers that survived, the bus began swerving several times and traveling at high speeds before the accident.

Williams explained to police that he lost control of the bus after being hit by a tractor truck from behind, but the National Transportation Safety Board is currently investigating the incident.

Among Williams' past arrests and convictions are aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, driving with a suspended license and unlawful possession of radio devices and police scanners. In addition, he had previously served three years in jail for a manslaughter conviction in April 1992. In a 1998 grand larceny conviction, he served four years in state prison.

State police also began an investigation on how Williams was able to receive a commercial driver's license despite his previous convictions.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-03-15

[Bobr]

This loss of life is very sad. Unfortunately this incident Will probably be used as an excuse for more panic legislation that will increase the cost of travel and decrease the ease and enjoyment of travel. The liberals in the New York Times are already screaming for stricter laws, the US seems to be like that anymore. Too many people think government is the answer to all problems.