Amtrak Train Crash in Washington State

Arizona Bus Accident - Six Die in Bus Rollover on Interstate 10 South of Phoenix

Numerous Tour bus passengers were seriously injured and at at least six were killed when a tour bus driver rear-ended a pick-up truck, lost control, rolled over in a fatal crash on an Arizona interstate Highway today (Friday).  The bus wreck occurred at 5:27 a.m. on Interstate 10 south of Phoenix at milepost 173.

The tour bus is owned by Los Angeles, California-based Tierra Santa Tour Company. The Tierra Santa Tour bus was taking 22 passengers from Mexico to Los Angeles, California.

The cause of the bus crash is still under investigation. The tour bus departed from central Mexico near Durango headed for Los Angeles, CA. Investigators are noting that the tour group bus driver planned to switch with a relief driver once they reached Phoenix, about 30 miles north of the crash.  The bus driver lost control when it rear-ended a pick-up truck and lost control with the bus rolling over at least once.  This is the second serious tour bus accident in Arizona in the last 18 months, with the former crash killing seven Chinese tourists.

Tierra Santa Tour Bus Company of Van Nuys, California has a history of safety violations, no federal record of insurance and may not  have been able to legally carry passengers in Arizona.   The Transportation-safety records and federal regulators confirm they were not licensed to carry passengers across state lines. Incredibly, the buses were stopped and cited three times last year by state and federal transportation inspectors in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.  The state and federal inspectors' reports show that one of the buses was pulled off the road and declared "out of service" when it was cited in Texas in August. In that stop, inspectors cited the bus for lack of insurance and an interstate license, defective lights, defective emergency exits, inoperable lamps and other maintenance issue.

• Pheonix Arizona Tour Bus Crash Kills 6 On I-10 -  devastating traffic accident involving a tour bus occurred this morning in Phoenix Arizona on Interstate 10, one mile east of the Gila River ...
• Six dead in tour bus crash on I-10 KTAR.com
  Six People Killed In Tour Bus Accident WDEF News 12
  6 people killed in bus crash south of Phoenix The Associated Press

Updates: 

The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administation (FMCSA)shut down the operations of California-based Teirra Santa Inc. According to a federal agency, the bus company was operating illegally and was uninsured.  According to FMCSA's complaint, the owner of the bus company, Cayetano Martinex of Los Angeles, had been shut down previously and had attempted to to gain operating authority under another name. 

Our tour bus attorneys are investigating this accident.  Our injury lawyers have extensive experience in mass tort crashes such as this and understand how to protect your legal rights.  If you are a victim or the family member of a victim from this tragic accident, contact our team of accident attorneys 24x7 by calling toll free 866.936.7447.

Arizona Bus Crash Kills 7 Chinese Tourists: More Questions Than Answers Remain

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. 

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