The fatal tour bus accident which claimed the lives of seven Chinese tourists traveling back from the Grand Canyon to Las Vegas Nevada is now concluding its third day of investigation. Yet, more questions remain as the National Transportation Safety Board and local law enforcement officials continue to withhold key information about the bus crash. Our attorneys continue to investigate the following key issues which family members of the victims struggle with as well:
- Our attorneys know that DW TOUR & CHARTER owned by AGNES WANG in SAN GABRIEL, CA owned the tour bus. But she has been quoted as saying that she "rented the bus to another company for a weekend trip." The personal injury insurance company for DW Tour is Lancer Insurance. It is still unclear who was responsible for the operation of the bus that day, and who bus driver was actually employed by. These are critical issues for family members of the victims of this tragedy. It is now being reported that The California Public Utilities Commission has suspended certification of DW Tours and that the company, which has two buses and employs four drivers, had been cited 6 months earlier for deficiencies in drug and alcohol testing and policies for checking drivers' backgrounds.Mr. Wang also owns a bus transportation company called SUPER COACH INC.
- Our lawyers understand that the key event here which caused death and injury was the fact that the bus rolled over. If the bus had not rolled, injuries would most likely be minor. So what caused the bus to roll-over? Bus manufacturers understand the danger of roll-over accidents. Our accident attorneys understand how tire pressure, suspension, weight distribution and other factors impact the tendency of a vehicle to roll over.
- Were there operational and available seat belts on the tour bus? If so, what were the passengers told about the necessity of wearing those seat belts?
- Was it driver error or a problem with the bus itself which caused the bus to swerve out of control and roll over. Did the driver over-correct his steering, causing the vehicle tire rims to 'trip' on the road service starting the roll sequence?
- What is the make and model for this tour bus, and what are the maintenance records for that vehicle?
- What is the driving record of the bus driver, and what level of training was provided to the bus driver?
- What was the bus driver doing the previous 24 hours prior to this accident. Did he get enough sleep? Was he on any medications or consume any alcohol?
Our lawyers continue to monitor and investigate the Arizona tour bus accident for answers to these and other questions. If you have any information about these issues, you may post a comment here.
The National Transportation Safety Board has launched a six- member team to investigate yesterday's single-vehicle crash of a tour bus on a rural stretch of an Arizona highway in which seven were killed and 14 others were injured. At about 4:00 p.m. MST Friday, January 30, 2009, a 24-passenger capacity tour bus traveling northbound on U.S. 93 in Mohave County, near Dolan Springs, Arizona, crossed the median, rolled over and came to rest in the southbound lanes. The bus was operated by DW Tours. Senior Highway Safety Investigator Pete Kotowski is the Investigator-in-Charge of the NTSB team.
"We know he was distracted by that door," National Transportation Safety Board lead investigator Peter Kotowski told reporters. Witnesses told investigators the driver's side door was open at one point just before the bus crashed.
Kotowski said the driver - Han Dong, 48 - also "indicated he was blinded by sun glare" just before he lost control of the bus around 4 p.m. on Jan. 30 as he was driving the group of Chinese tourists to Las Vegas from the Grand Canyon.
Posted by: Bus Driver Distrated By Door | February 08, 2009 at 08:42 AM
Door distracts bus driver before crash.
LAS VEGAS—A federal official says the driver of a tour bus that crashed near Hoover Dam, killing seven, was distracted by a problem with his door minutes before the he lost control.
The NTSB says investigators have not found anything wrong with the driver-side door of the bus, which witnesses said was briefly open before the crash.
Posted by: Driver's Side Door Opened | February 07, 2009 at 05:14 PM
Investigators are checking Han Dong's driving history, medical records and certification to operate the bus, Warriner said.
Posted by: Han Dong's Driving Record | February 03, 2009 at 01:31 PM
Another tourist group from Shanghai has been involved in a bus accident in the United States, just days after six Chinese tourists were killed in a bus crash in Arizona.
The bus carrying 16 tourists who started their trip from Shanghai was hit from behind by a container truck.
One of the passengers, surnamed Lu, says the Galaxy Tours driver was making an illegal turn when hit by the truck.
Posted by: Another Chinese Tour Bus Accident For Galaxy | February 03, 2009 at 01:28 PM
The bus driver was Han Dong. The 30-seat bus was smaller than a typical tour bus - similar in size to airport car-rental shuttles - and did not have seat belts. All the seats faced forward. It is not yet confirmed whether the driver worked directly for D.W. Tour & Charter or was hired to drive the bus just for the trip.
Posted by: Bus Driver Was Han Dong | February 03, 2009 at 08:56 AM