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Old 01-06-2020, 04:48 AM   #1
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Deadly Tour Bus Crash PA

https://www.wesh.com/article/at-leas...npike/30401312

several fatalities and dozens injured.

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Old 01-06-2020, 07:35 AM   #2
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it was headed here... several eyewitness accounts say that nus was hauling ass going into a corner and over-corrected and lost it..



another reason not to Haul-ass in a big bus!,



take-heed those of you who want to drive 80+ in your school bus... slow down and enjoy the ride..



if you need to get someplace fast Take the Silver-bird not the Blue-Bird


-Christopher
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Old 01-06-2020, 08:12 AM   #3
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Ouch that's a nasty wreck. Front cap just ripped off the front of the Vanhool. Entire stairwell is gone.
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Old 01-06-2020, 08:25 AM   #4
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The front clips on those motorcoaches are typically more fiberglass than steel. I've seen an MCI front stairwell completely collapse just from a hard deer hit.

Also given the driver shortage nowadays it's a very real problem for companies. I see lots of drivers keep their jobs even after multiple serious accidents and/or safety violations.
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Old 01-06-2020, 08:43 AM   #5
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it was headed here... several eyewitness accounts say that nus was hauling ass going into a corner and over-corrected and lost it..

-Christopher
So the bus was driving recklessly and caused it? I've only heard bits and pieces of what happened. Supposedly weather was not a factor, which surprises me with that many vehicles involved.

Needless to say, you're correct by telling everyone to slow down. We can't say it enough. To quote my favorite movie, "The world went and got itself in a big damn hurry" - Brooks Hatlen. It's crazy that movie is 26 years old this year.
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Old 01-06-2020, 08:43 AM   #6
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The front clips on those motorcoaches are typically more fiberglass than steel. I've seen an MCI front stairwell completely collapse just from a hard deer hit.

Also given the driver shortage nowadays it's a very real problem for companies. I see lots of drivers keep their jobs even after multiple serious accidents and/or safety violations.
I have not the opportunity to work on a MCI so I don't really know how they are constructed. We had a Vanhool CX45 mow down a good sized deer at 65 mph two months ago, only wrecked the bumper for the most part. At my last company the parking brake was not set on another CX45 and it rolled away into the fuel station. Took out two poles and the pump, came close to smashing the windshield. Put a nice dent in the cap and bent the frames a little.

Definitely not at my company, we go through a dozen drivers a week. A serious wreck due to driver error will not automatically result in termination tho unless proper procedure was not followed. It probably helps that outside of the few transit buses and coaches (about 10 vehicles) the fleet is hydraulic braked.
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Old 01-06-2020, 09:35 AM   #7
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So the bus was driving recklessly and caused it? I've only heard bits and pieces of what happened. Supposedly weather was not a factor, which surprises me with that many vehicles involved.

Needless to say, you're correct by telling everyone to slow down. We can't say it enough. To quote my favorite movie, "The world went and got itself in a big damn hurry" - Brooks Hatlen. It's crazy that movie is 26 years old this year.



since the bus was headed to columbus then cinci they interviewed a passenger that lives here on local news and he said the bus went into a curve too fast.. and the driver was able to get it back on the road but over corrected and then lost it.. he didnt know the actual speed but felt it was way too fast for the road they were on...



-Christopher


P.S. as far as going fast... My biusses have taught me how to road-trip all over again... I was one of those that used to marasthon drive my vacations.. I hopeed in my car and would drive 18 hours from ohio to lauderdale or st pete... 75 MPH and I never saw any sights.. just chased white lines and energy drinks...


driving a bus at 60-65 and many times taking non-interstates.. ive met cool people.. seen towns i never kn ew existed.. My gosh the cool coffee shops and diners and places to stop and walk i have seen...



there are times im in a real hurry.. and I fly ..
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Old 01-06-2020, 09:42 AM   #8
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Originally Posted by cadillackid View Post
since the bus was headed to columbus then cinci they interviewed a passenger that lives here on local news and he said the bus went into a curve too fast.. and the driver was able to get it back on the road but over corrected and then lost it.. he didnt know the actual speed but felt it was way too fast for the road they were on...



-Christopher


P.S. as far as going fast... My biusses have taught me how to road-trip all over again... I was one of those that used to marasthon drive my vacations.. I hopeed in my car and would drive 18 hours from ohio to lauderdale or st pete... 75 MPH and I never saw any sights.. just chased white lines and energy drinks...


driving a bus at 60-65 and many times taking non-interstates.. ive met cool people.. seen towns i never kn ew existed.. My gosh the cool coffee shops and diners and places to stop and walk i have seen...



there are times im in a real hurry.. and I fly ..
So true!
(I will have some relearning to do...)
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Old 01-06-2020, 09:51 AM   #9
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I am with you Christopher.

No more driving like a mad man Seattle to LA without a break. These days I am not in a hurry and try to limit my days to a max of six hours driving.

I am past needing a bus that can run 80 mph on the Interstate. I rarely exceed 65 mph.
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Old 01-06-2020, 01:49 PM   #10
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I don't really ever go much over 50.

That said- it doesn't appear the tires were the cause and it looks like the roof was strong enough.
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Old 01-06-2020, 02:32 PM   #11
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Also given the driver shortage nowadays it's a very real problem for companies. I see lots of drivers keep their jobs even after multiple serious accidents and/or safety violations.
I think that is a serious problem. Last year there was a bus accident that cost lives and caused numerous injuries. It turned out that the driver did not have a CDL and was, in fact, an illegal alien.

I was approached by a local bus operator to drive for them. Apparently they are having trouble finding enough drivers. I told the gent that I could not pass the physical and subsequent piss tests. He said "No problem. just buy this detox kit from GNC and you will pass without a problem".
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Old 01-06-2020, 02:42 PM   #12
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I think that is a serious problem. Last year there was a bus accident that cost lives and caused numerous injuries. It turned out that the driver did not have a CDL and was, in fact, an illegal alien.

I was approached by a local bus operator to drive for them. Apparently they are having trouble finding enough drivers. I told the gent that I could not pass the physical and subsequent piss tests. He said "No problem. just buy this detox kit from GNC and you will pass without a problem".
That's worrisome. The big companies around here are generally compliant with the CDL requirements and safety laws but some of the small party bus fly-by-night outfits can be sketchy at best.
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Old 01-06-2020, 04:52 PM   #13
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RE sketchy commercial drivers and fleets: the problem is that its too easy to get a DOT operating authority. In the past if a fleet operator wanted to flaunt the federal minimum standards and practices set forth for driver fitness they could hire any old steering wheel holder and fake their credentials because by the time the DOT caught on or the driver caused a horrific wreck the operator could just form a new biz and obtain a new DOT# in a couple of days. The DOT thought they were closing a loophole by adding CSA points to both the driver AND the fleet's record but these fly-by-night operators don't give a damn about their CSA score because it'll start fresh with a new DOT#, although the driver (if he/she survives the wreck) is left twisting in the wind.

RE the physics of large vehicles at high speeds: I don't care how well your bus handles at 80mph there's still basic physics involved and you're not going to get away with trying to break those laws. Anyone who knows the area where this wreck occurred knows that just because the sign says 70mph doesn't mean 70 is a safe speed going into every turn. The PA Tpk was designed in 1945 and they had no conception of how fast traffic would move 75 years into the future. Therefore, when contemporary authorities authorize a speed limit increase it isn't because the road has been substantially improved to accommodate that speed - its just politics at work. All drivers are atill expected to exercise common sense but unfortunately that has become increasingly uncommon. So my guess is this steering wheel holder saw the 70mph sign, knew his bus could do 70, and just laid it open without assessing that rather tight curve ahead. By the time he realized it, he's in the curve too fast, and no matter what action he takes at that point is going to end in catastrophe.
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Old 01-08-2020, 09:53 PM   #14
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I can't even imagine driving that fast in a skoolie. How fast do you need your living room to roll, anyway?

When I bought mine with a governor, I thought about taking it off, for about half a second. Decided I don't really need to drive much faster than 67 anyway. The road is so much tastier when you take it slow.
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Old 01-08-2020, 10:06 PM   #15
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I agree.

I have no need or want to drive over 70 mph in a bus in the best of conditions. On a nice wide interstate I am good at 65.

Going fast in a bus is easy. It's the stopping and maneuvering part that concerns me..

Something I learned sailing is that being in a hurry leads to bad decisions.
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Old 01-08-2020, 10:50 PM   #16
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The PA Tpk was designed in 1945 and they had no conception of how fast traffic would move 75 years into the future.
I randomly happened to watch this video today on the construction of the PA Turnpike (which broke ground in 1938 and opened in 1940):



Initially there was no speed limit autobahn-style, but in 1941 they made it 70 mph for cars and slower for trucks.
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Old 01-08-2020, 11:02 PM   #17
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The buses at my work are all governed at 70 mph and to me that is enough. A few of them are at 65 mph but those are mostly route buses and I rarely take them out on the Interstate.

My AARE doesn't have a governor as far as I can tell, I took it up to 78 mph out of curiousity but then quickly backed down as the RPMs got a little high for my liking.
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Old 01-09-2020, 05:10 AM   #18
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We clocked at prison bus at 90. It was a Bluebird.
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Old 01-09-2020, 08:23 AM   #19
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Most bus tires are only rated for 75 mph and anything beyond that is risky especially with recaps.
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Old 09-15-2022, 01:31 AM   #20
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Forgive the necroposting. So I was searching the forums and I stumbled across this thread.

I actually made it through the beginning of this accident when it was initially 2 cars. It's close to a blind "S" bend kind of. We were on our way back from Seven Springs to Pittsburgh. It wasn't raining/snowing, but unfortunately there was runoff from the mountainside which had frozen. As I was coming down the hill into the bend I could feel my Camry sliding off the road.

I had to correct the wheel about 3 times as we fishtailed. The second time is when I noticed the accident involving the two vehicles. When I corrected the wheel the third time, I thought we were going into the jersey barrier. Surprisingly though, we did not. My tires caught the pavement and we stayed straight after that.

I had to pull over further down the turnpike because of the adrenaline. I wanted to go back and see if I could help, but the visibility was so poor, and the hillside so steep it wasn't safe to do so. I didn't realize the extent of the incident until the next day when someone I was with showed me this article. Aside from the frozen runoff, the road was bone dry.

It was an unnerving experience, and has made me overly cautious on bends in cold weather now.
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