Megabus double deck coach slams into low rail bridge, 4 killed.

[metsfan]

 

SALINA, N.Y. – A double-decker bus traveling off its usual route slammed into a low railroad bridge in the pre-dawn darkness Saturday in a wreck that killed four passengers and critically injured others, authorities said.

 

The Megabus was carrying 27 people, including the driver, when it rammed the bridge around 2:30 a.m. on the Onondaga Lake Parkway in Salina, a suburb of Syracuse in central New York.

 

The bus lay on its side after the crash. Twenty-four people were taken to hospitals, most suffering from minor injuries, officials said. A handful remained hospitalized Saturday afternoon.

 

The bus was too tall to make it under the low-hanging span, said Larry Ives, supervisor of dispatch operations for the Onondaga County Sheriff's Department.

 

It struck the bridge between two large signs warning that the clearance was 10 feet, 9 inches, photographs from WSYR-TV showed. The top level of the bus was crushed and partially peeled back in the front.

 

The driver of the bus had head injuries but was speaking to investigators, Onondaga County sheriff's deputy Herb Wiggins told The Post-Standard newspaper of Syracuse.

 

The dead included three men and a woman in her teens or early 20s, Sheriff Kevin Walsh told the newspaper. He said there was no indication the driver had been drinking or using drugs.

 

The bus left Philadelphia at 10 p.m. Friday and was headed for Toronto with stops in Syracuse and Buffalo, said Don Carmichael, a senior vice president at Coach USA, which operates Megabus.

 

Normally, the bus enters Syracuse on Interstate 81 and heads straight for a depot for a 30 minute rest stop, Carmichael said, but on this night, the driver left his usual route and was on a lakeside parkway that might have been unfamiliar.

 

"We don't know why," he said. Asked if the driver might have been lost, Carmichael said, "He had driven the route before."

 

He said the company began offering the daily trip on July 21 and the driver had been making it regularly since then. An investigation was under way to determine why he had left the highway, he added.

 

The bus normally arrives in Syracuse at 2:10 a.m. and idles there until 2:40 a.m., so it was late getting in but not terribly so.

 

The crash shut down the parkway, which runs along a lake not far from the intersection of Interstate 81 and the other major highway that runs through the city, Interstate 90.

 

Carmichael said on Saturday afternoon that 17 passengers had been released from the hospital and brought to a hotel to rest and decide whether they wanted to continue on their trip, or go home.

 

Megabus has operated the double-decker buses since 2007.

 

"This is a very, very unfortunate, horrific accident, and our primary concern right now is for the families and loved ones of the deceased. Our thoughts and prayers are with them," Carmichael said.

 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_double_decker_bus_crash;_ylt=AjlSDZawYd.v2V9AveMMP6EVvTYC;_ylu=X3oDMTM5Nmo0N29hBGFzc2V0Ay9zL2FwL3VzX2RvdWJsZV9kZWNrZXJfYnVzX2NyYXNoBGNjb2RlA21vc3Rwb3B1bGFyBGNwb3MDNQRwb3MDNQRzZWMDeW5fdG9wX3N0b3JpZXMEc2xrA2RvdWJsZS1kZWNrZQ--

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

This is going to have ripple effect impacts on inter-city bus regulations.

 

- A

[Forest Glen]

I've been on Megabus half a dozen times. It is a professional operation. It's so much better than Greyhound. This is shocking.

[Shortline Bus]

Very sad story. Based on reading this, I still say Megabus is safer than the bootleg ones from NYC's chinatown.

 

With that said, from reading the story, Megabus officals from now on should strictly enforce traveling on Interstate Highways and never ever travel a side road since it's a danger with those double decker buses traveling those country roads that could have fatal results.

[BZGuy]

I've been on Megabus half a dozen times. It is a professional operation. It's so much better than Greyhound. This is shocking.

 

A professional operation does not pay their drivers 12-14 bucks a hour to drive a 81 passenger coach when competing companies pay 5-10 dollars MORE to drive 55 passenger coaches.

 

A professional operation does not intimidate drivers into lying on the logbooks to complete runs.

 

A professional operation does not buy a coach for marketing purposes and then run into numerous and continuing problems with them in service.

 

There is NOTHING professional about Megabus. I know folks on here like the $1 fares and drool over a brand new TD925, but Megabus is nothing but a drain on the intercity motorcoach industry.

 

This is the 3rd accident (2nd serious) accident they've had on this route. IMO, I would pony up the extra cash to ride GLI or PP or even Bolt. When was the last time GLI rolled one over, back in 2000. This is the second one for them in less than a year. I hope the DOT crawls all over Megabus and shuts them down. Or at least takes the DDs off the road.

 

Hopefully some good will come of the senseless tragic accident!

[Y2Julio]

Looks like I'll keep using Greyhound whenever I go to Toronto.

[St Louis Car 09]

Its not the business fault,its the drivers us of common sense.

[Shortline Bus]

Hate to bring it up, but is DWI/Drug use also being looked at is a possible cause for this tragic accident?

[TransitStop]

nope, read somewhere he was clean, i dont see how a Double Decker could have such a poor record what should of been done is as soon as the bus goes off course the bus "shuts" down , just like in Ottawa our double decker's, if they go off course the bus essentially " turns off " and the staff is alerted so there is no mis-haps ( i .e injuries or even death )

[Tokkemon]

 

 

This is why I take Boltbus.

[Forest Glen]

A professional operation does not pay their drivers 12-14 bucks a hour to drive a 81 passenger coach when competing companies pay 5-10 dollars MORE to drive 55 passenger coaches.

 

A professional operation does not intimidate drivers into lying on the logbooks to complete runs.

 

A professional operation does not buy a coach for marketing purposes and then run into numerous and continuing problems with them in service.

 

There is NOTHING professional about Megabus. I know folks on here like the $1 fares and drool over a brand new TD925, but Megabus is nothing but a drain on the intercity motorcoach industry.

 

This is the 3rd accident (2nd serious) accident they've had on this route. IMO, I would pony up the extra cash to ride GLI or PP or even Bolt. When was the last time GLI rolled one over, back in 2000. This is the second one for them in less than a year. I hope the DOT crawls all over Megabus and shuts them down. Or at least takes the DDs off the road.

 

Hopefully some good will come of the senseless tragic accident!

 

incorrect

 

This is why I take Boltbus.

 

Bolt is more expensive than Megabus. Plus, Bolt has this disorganized boarding system at the 33rd Street terminal. Megabus TD 925's have 81 seats with outlets. On my last trip to DC, I paid $19 round trip. I won't let an isolated incident deter me. I railfanned the DC Metro 7 days after the tragic crash.

[SevenEleven]

Bolt is more expensive than Megabus. Plus, Bolt has this disorganized boarding system at the 33rd Street terminal. Megabus TD 925's have 81 seats with outlets. On my last trip to DC, I paid $19 round trip. I won't let an isolated incident deter me. I railfanned the DC Metro 7 days after the tragic crash.

 

But this is not about prices, buses or amenities. It's about a company that hired an idiot driver who clearly didn't know what he was doing with that CDL. Riddle me this:

 

-Why was the driver off route in the first place?

-How did he not know the height of his bus?

-How did he not see the signs posting the clearance heights?

-Why did he take the chance anyways?

 

It's 4 simple questions that is ought to get the driver fired and Megabus in hot water.

[BZGuy]

incorrect.

 

Exactly what is incorrect? Megabus has safety flaws.....and once again it's taken another accident to bring that to light.

 

In the last year on they have flipped one over and run another one off the road enroute to Toronto with the drivers cited in both cases. There is a fundemental safety problem with Megabus and I think the traveling public deserve better.

 

But hey throwing $1 fares around will make people forget about those 4 people killed today.

[Forest Glen]

Next year when I head to Boston to see the Yankees play the Sox I'll take Megabus, not ghetto Greyhound or the overpriced Bolt Bus. There is no flawless company. Accidents happen. You learn from them and move on.

[Cait Sith]

incorrect.

 

How are you going to tell someone who knows the game and the company much more better than you that they are incorrect? Dont make yourself sound stupid on this forum again please.

 

But this is not about prices, buses or amenities. It's about a company that hired an idiot driver who clearly didn't know what he was doing with that CDL. Riddle me this:

 

-Why was the driver off route in the first place?

-How did he not know the height of his bus?

-How did he not see the signs posting the clearance heights?

-Why did he take the chance anyways?

 

It's 4 simple questions that is ought to get the driver fired and Megabus in hot water.

 

Dont even try talking any sense into him, its like talking to a brick wall.

[BZGuy]

Next year when I head to Boston to see the Yankees play the Sox I'll take Megabus, not ghetto Greyhound or the overpriced Bolt Bus. There is no flawless company. Accidents happen. You learn from them and move on.

 

I'm not gonna argue with you,but I will leave you with these facts.

 

#1: Greyhound is not as "ghetto" as they have been in the past. New buses in shape of Prevost X3s and now MCI 4505s are here. Older coaches are heading for refurb and will have all the amenities the new ones have. Operationally they have pulled up their socks dramatically. The new equipment helped but also they are fully staffed with drivers in most locations are are not afraid to rent buses from guys like Raritan Valley, Yankee Line or even Academy to cover schedules so people are not stranded. First Group is teaching the "Dog" some new tricks.

 

#2: Bolt maybe more expensive than Megabus and I will even give you that the boarding situation in NYC needs some work,but spending some extra cash will give you some peace of mind about getting to your destination. Those buses spend every night at a Peter Pan garage...and say what you will about PP..but our mechs do a DAMN good job. Those drivers....a good percentage came from Peter Pan and Greyhound meaning they got some years under their belts and you better believe they know how to keep the rubber on the road.

 

#3: Megabus is showing itself to be worse than Fung Wah/Lucky Star. There have been way too many incidents since the introduction of the TD925s. Personally I think the training is lacking at MegaBus and that possibly they are expanding too fast. I'm not gonna hang this driver, but anyone who drives a bus will tell you they know the height of their bus, and when in unfamiliar surrounding you're even more careful about running into a low bridge. I honestly think the DOT will be looking into Megabus....you can't keep having high profile accidents and think no body is gonna say anything. And looking at the public sentiment after this accident, this might be the end for the TD925s in the US.

 

FG, I will agree that no company is perfect and that accidents will happen. But nothing will be learned from this one that we already don't know. "Know the height of your vehicle" is something you get beat into you in CDL training and anyone behind the wheel of a bus or truck that can't follow that rule shoud'nt be there. There are 4 people who lost their lives because this driver didn't follow one of the basic rules of driving a bus.

[B35 via Church]

incorrect

Denial.

 

 

...and what is with you & your use of the word ghetto as of late.... this is like the 2nd or 3rd post I've seen of your most recent posts where you're defining something as such... step your vocabulary up a little...

 

 

I know folks on here like the $1 fares and drool over a brand new TD925, but Megabus is nothing but a drain on the intercity motorcoach industry.

Tell you one thing, bro... I sure don't....

If somethin is too good to be true, it usually is...

 

ever since megabus started making noise (so to speak) in NYC, it just felt gimmicky to me...

 

the fact that people here are comparing fung wah to megabus says enough for me... I didn't know the operations/ongoings of megabus were THAT reprehensible....

------------------------------

 

 

If I'm travelling a very long distance to get somewhere, I'm not looking to pay bottom dollar for my travels...

 

Saying that another way, you get what you pay for....

Too bad 4 people in this particular accident had to learn this the hard way - with their lives.

 

and 12-14 bills an hour... that's it?

Well that shows how much they think of the people operating their buses, and the safety of the people that will be embarking/disembarking upon them....

 

Professional my ass.

[Shortline Bus]

B35 I think Megabus is owned by Coach USA while Bolt is owned by Greyhound.

 

 

Denial.

 

 

...and what is with you & your use of the word ghetto as of late.... this is like the 2nd or 3rd post I've seen of your most recent posts where you're defining something as such... step your vocabulary up a little...

 

 

 

Tell you one thing, bro... I sure don't....

If somethin is too good to be true, it usually is...

 

ever since megabus started making noise (so to speak) in NYC, it just felt gimmicky to me...

 

the fact that people here are comparing fung wah to megabus says enough for me... I didn't know the operations/ongoings of megabus were THAT reprehensible....

------------------------------

 

 

If I'm travelling a very long distance to get somewhere, I'm not looking to pay bottom dollar for my travels...

 

Saying that another way, you get what you pay for....

Too bad 4 people in this particular accident had to learn this the hard way - with their lives.

 

and 12-14 bills an hour... that's it?

Well that shows how much they think of the people operating their buses, and the safety of the people that will be embarking/disembarking upon them....

 

Professional my ass.

[Zman]

incorrect

 

 

 

Bolt is more expensive than Megabus. Plus, Bolt has this disorganized boarding system at the 33rd Street terminal. Megabus TD 925's have 81 seats with outlets. On my last trip to DC, I paid $19 round trip. I won't let an isolated incident deter me. I railfanned the DC Metro 7 days after the tragic crash.

 

 

 

A professional operation does not pay their drivers 12-14 bucks a hour to drive a 81 passenger coach when competing companies pay 5-10 dollars MORE to drive 55 passenger coaches.

 

A professional operation does not intimidate drivers into lying on the logbooks to complete runs.

 

A professional operation does not buy a coach for marketing purposes and then run into numerous and continuing problems with them in service.

 

There is NOTHING professional about Megabus. I know folks on here like the $1 fares and drool over a brand new TD925, but Megabus is nothing but a drain on the intercity motorcoach industry.

 

This is the 3rd accident (2nd serious) accident they've had on this route. IMO, I would pony up the extra cash to ride GLI or PP or even Bolt. When was the last time GLI rolled one over, back in 2000. This is the second one for them in less than a year. I hope the DOT crawls all over Megabus and shuts them down. Or at least takes the DDs off the road.

 

Hopefully some good will come of the senseless tragic accident!

 

So...should I listen to a motorcoach driver who knows the business very well, or should I listen to a busfan who only wants to travel on the cheap? Decisions, decisions.

 

I've read about how MegaBus will show up two hours late without even an apology and how many passengers have been stranded by no-show buses. Plus, who puts their bus stop (for Baltimore) in the middle of nowhere...accessible by a local bus which runs only once an hour and which takes 1:10 to get to from downtown? Obviously if you're a professional bus company, you don't put your business in a location which is only mainly accessed by CAR!

[Urbanfortitude]

I always thought Boltbus and Megabus were affiliating companies (or at least one in the same). Sometimes that cheap fare really comes in handy. I wish I could always afford to travel in style by train but sometimes I can't chuck out the cash for it. I think it's great there are companies like these two that are willing to make it cheap for us to travel around like that even if it is excruciating painful to sit in a bus sometimes.

[SoSpectacular]

Sheesh, can't trust these Chinatown buses. I was worried for my friend when she came and left New York on one of these buses...

[Urbanfortitude]

Sheesh, can't trust these Chinatown buses. I was worried for my friend when she came and left New York on one of these buses...

 

Chinatown Buses are totally different from Bolt/Megabus. And depending on the one you choose you usually get different forms of service. I have no idea which one I used last but the guy made unscheduled stops out of nowhere and wouldnt tell us wtf was going on. Then turns out my stop in Philly was like in the middle of a highway

[SoSpectacular]

Chinatown Buses are totally different from Bolt/Megabus. And depending on the one you choose you usually get different forms of service. I have no idea which one I used last but the guy made unscheduled stops out of nowhere and wouldnt tell us wtf was going on. Then turns out my stop in Philly was like in the middle of a highway

 

Lol reminds me of when she called from somewhere in Virginia at 4AM. It was good hearing her voice though.

[St Louis Car 09]

 

Sheesh, can't trust these Chinatown buses. I was worried for my friend when she came and left New York on one of these buses...

Th chinatown buses are ok,but I do trust greyhound better.I remember the first time I rode the chinese bus,I remember the bus stopped at a desolate location along the highway and a group of people was standing there.I was like WTF!!! refugees?

[Y2Julio]

Greyhound is far from ghetto. I've taken Greyhound 6 times now when traveling to Toronto from NYC. I've yet to encounter any "ghetto" element on Greyhound on these trips, it's always been college students, family members visiting relatives and tourists. Greyhound drivers are professional, always kept us informed the passengers of any issues. They also get you to your destination quickly but also safely. Greyhound also uses new Vanhool buses and other buses that all include Wi-Fi and two outlets per seat. When I looked up Megabus when I was planning my first trip to Toronto, I read up on it and didn't like the fact that you had to wait in the middle of the street versus waiting for the bus inside the Port Authority Bus Terminal like greyhound does. If anything, Megabus is the "Ghetto" carrier.

[Shortline Bus]

Greyhound is far from ghetto. I've taken Greyhound 6 times now when traveling to Toronto from NYC. I've yet to encounter any "ghetto" element on Greyhound on these trips, it's always been college students, family members visiting relatives and tourists. Greyhound drivers are professional, always kept us informed the passengers of any issues. They also get you to your destination quickly but also safely. Greyhound also uses new Vanhool buses and other buses that all include Wi-Fi and two outlets per seat. When I looked up Megabus when I was planning my first trip to Toronto, I read up on it and didn't like the fact that you had to wait in the middle of the street versus waiting for the bus inside the Port Authority Bus Terminal like greyhound does. If anything, Megabus is the "Ghetto" carrier.

 

 

Actually Julio, before the competition from the NYC-based 'Chinatown Charter Buses' mainly on their Northeast coordior and later MegaBus(Coach USA) Greyhound for many years from the '80's-few years ago, they did have a bad reputation for dirty old buses, rodents, occasional crime i.e fights/assults,robbery, etc. and a bad ridership base. That base which included gang members and thus getting the ghetto crowd on long trips who could not afford airline tickets.

 

After Greyhound merged with former rival Trailways in the late '80's and was (and still is)the only national bus carrier in the US and Canada, they did have a terrible customer approval rating for nearly 2 decades.

Only in last 5 years or so under new management and improved buses and better trained staff along with rival from other bus companies, has their reputation improved. Not to mention just a couple of years ago, Greyhound creating "BoltBus' a low fare version of Greyhound in which customers buy tickets online and ride for cheaper fares on their Northeast routes.

This was designed to get the College age ridership and other customers on a tight budget.

 

Still like the NYC Subways, which still has a few people unfairly thinking about it's ugly days of crime from the 1970's/'80's, it will take a while for Greyhound to get back in approval with a lot of still former customers, from it's darkest period in it's history from it merger with Trailways-2005.